Local & Community
Power outage leaves CVUSD schools without AC and community members frustrated
Three Coachella Valley Unified School District sites were left without power and air conditioning for hours Thursday as temperatures climbed into the triple digits.
The outage affected John Kelly Elementary School, La Familia High School and the CVUSD headquarters.
According to Imperial Irrigation District officials, the outage began around 10 a.m. after a vehicle struck an electrical pole, damaging equipment inside an IID substation in Thermal.
Parents and teachers say indoor temperatures became increasingly uncomfortable as the air conditioning remained off.
One parent, Blanca Rocha, said her daughter reported students were sweating inside their classroom. She was also told some classrooms reached about 90 degrees.
Rocha also said her young son later developed a fever and complained of a headache.
She questioned why they were not immediately notified that the schools had lost air conditioning.
CVUSD said its protocol is to dispatch maintenance technicians when the district is notified of a power outage. The district also said infrared thermometers are available throughout the district to help staff monitor indoor temperatures.
But the president of the Coachella Valley Teachers Association, Carissa Carrera said the district's response did not match what teachers experienced.
She said teachers had to request additional water and questioned whether staff had the proper equipment to monitor classroom temperatures.
Parents and teachers are now calling for more transparency, better communication and easier access to the district's heat illness prevention plan.
As of Friday, officials said power had been restored to the affected areas.
By: NBC Palm Springs
August 28, 2026
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