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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Another Utah school is starting its year with broken air conditioning.
Students and staff at Bella Vista Elementary School, 2131 Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights, have been without air conditioning for several days, and some are handling the heat better than others.
"One of my kids says that it's very hot, but I do know kids sometimes tend to exaggerate a little bit," said parent of two, Ben Anderson.
The week before the start of school was bad timing for the air conditioning to malfunction.
"I do understand that that's a school building. Things do happen," said David Kenedy, a parent of a kindergartner. "It does suck because it is still hot outside."
The Canyons School District said the elementary school will go without its HVAC system until a repair part arrives from out of state.
"The last I heard, it was in Beaver, Utah. So it's on its way," said Canyons School District spokesman Jeff Haney.
Haney admits the classrooms are warm but says the school district is getting creative to get students and staff to stay cool.
"We have placed fans and coolers and portable chillers all throughout the school: the hallways, the classrooms, the offices," he said.
In the meantime, Haney says the school will be flexible with students who choose to stay home.
"When they come back, we'll work with you to catch up," he said.
Parents like Anderson say they'd rather have their child in school, learning, but he is satisfied with the measures the district has taken.
"I go pick up my kids, and it's not like they come out of the school and they're beating and red. I think it's probably not the ideal situation, but I don't think it's dangerous," Anderson said. "If it didn't trust them, I wouldn't take them there."
"My kid hasn't complained about it. She seems OK," added Kenedy.
Haney said the district hopes to have the air conditioning fixed by Friday.
