Students at Santa Monica High School have raised concerns over the lack of air conditioning at the school this week as a record-breaking heat wave pushed temperatures along the coast well above normal.
Students organized an impromptu protest via social media after some said cooling systems in multiple buildings at the high school have failed to maintain a reasonable temperature for the second time this year. Students told the Daily Press that some individuals disrupted classes during the morning over their concerns but the district said there was no organized protest and no walkout
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District said Tuesday that its facilities teams are responding to air-conditioning problems at its schools as the extreme temperatures put significant strain on the systems. Most systems are working and cooling classrooms, according to the district, while a small number of areas need repairs or replacement parts.
At Santa Monica High School portable air-conditioning units are providing temporary cooling in language and English classrooms while the district waits for parts, officials said.
Air conditioning in the campus' Exploration Building is running again after crews replaced a memory board that had been damaged by a leak in a condensation line, the district said.
In the Discovery Building, the air-conditioning system shut itself down overnight after detecting extreme temperatures, not due to a fire. Crews reprogrammed the system Tuesday morning, and it is mostly operating, though some problems continue.
The Innovation Building had air-conditioning trouble during August's unusually intense heat and humidity, including issues tied to coastal air and moisture, according to the district. Facilities staff have since replaced damaged dampers and updated the system's programming to make it more reliable.
"We are experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, and our facilities teams are working diligently to keep our schools operating," said Carey Upton, the district's chief operations officer. "Our technicians are responding across the district, putting temporary solutions in place where needed while also working on permanent repairs. Our focus is on addressing issues as they arise and keeping our schools comfortable and functional for students and staff throughout these extreme conditions."
The district said it expects some air-conditioning systems may continue to have problems for the rest of the heat wave. Its facilities team will respond quickly, putting temporary fixes in place where needed while working toward permanent repairs, officials said.
The heat has gripped the entire region. An extreme heat warning remains in effect for the coast and valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until 8 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said Tuesday. Temperatures could reach 90 to 100 degrees at the coast and 106 degrees in the valleys.
The warning covers dozens of communities, including Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Topanga, Culver City, Beverly Hills and Long Beach.
The weather service also issued a beach hazards statement through 6 a.m. Wednesday for dangerous rip currents and breaking waves. A coastal flood advisory takes effect at 6 a.m. Wednesday and runs until 11 p.m. Friday, with minor to locally moderate flooding expected in low-lying areas such as beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways, especially around high tide. Forecasters said Malibu is among the areas of greatest concern.
According to the weather service, two patterns combined to push the record heat to the shoreline: a strong dome of high pressure overhead and a steady flow of air moving from inland out to sea.
Normally, an afternoon sea breeze brings cool ocean air ashore and keeps beach towns mild. Offshore flow reverses that pattern, keeping cooler marine air away from the coast and limiting cooling at night. On Oct. 4, the third day of the heat wave, overnight temperatures stayed in the 70s and 80s.
The marine layer, which forecasters describe as the coast's natural air conditioner, disappeared. The weather service forecast highs 15 to 27 degrees above normal, with the most unseasonable heat over the Los Angeles Basin and the Los Angeles and Ventura county coasts.
Some relief has begun at the beaches. Coastal highs Tuesday were 3 to 6 degrees cooler than Monday as onshore flows are slowly returning, forecasters said.
The pattern is expected to break this weekend. A cold low-pressure system moving south from Canada is forecast to bring below-normal temperatures to the entire West Coast from Sunday through Tuesday, with highs mostly in the 70s by Monday.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the District's assertion that no walkout occurred.