CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Heat has become an issue at Roy Miller High School once again.
Recently, KRIS 6 News reported how Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) monitors air conditioning units on all of their campuses, so they know if a problem arises.
On Tuesday, several parents reached out to KRIS 6 News to say there's a problem in Miller High School again. This time the heat causing some possible medical emergencies to people inside the school.
“CCISD, you are responsible for these students, period,” Daniel Garcia, a parent of a Miller High School student said.
A CCISD official confirmed emergency medical services were called to multiple schools on Tuesday including Miller High School, but they couldn't disclose the reasons they were called.
Garcia said he received a text from his daughter before 11 a.m. on Tuesday
“She said the A/C not working again. I says again? She says yeah it’s very hot,” Garcia said.
Garcia told his daughter he'd come pick her up and he wasn’t the only one picking up his child early from school.
"I came to pick her up and when I got here there was several other parents here picking up their students. And, they (faculty) were all saying what's the reason you're picking your student up. And, they (parents) were all saying, they (students) are saying it's too hot," Garcia said.
Before he picked up his daughter, Garcia got another text from her.
“From what I understood a teacher passed out and a student passed out. And, they kept students in their class so that they wouldn’t see the emergency personnel tending to them. To me that’s unsafe conditions,” Garcia said.
Several parents told us something similar. CCISD would not confirm or deny any of this information, but they released this statement to KRIS 6 News:
"This morning at Miller High School, our facilities team quickly responded to an issue with one of the two chillers. Both chillers are working and returned the building to a cool environment. We appreciate their work as well as everyone’s patience in our continued extreme heat."
KRIS 6 News reporter Eran Hami showed that statement to Garcia after school let out.
“I literally just spoke to someone and they said that it was still hot. It’s just a cover up,” Garcia said.
Miller High School principal Sandy Salinas-Deleon also sent a message to parents Tuesday afternoon.
Her message confirms air conditioning issues. She went on to say they noticed a pattern of issues from the system restarting over the weekend and the beginning of the week is hot in the building. She said a crew will now check the system every Sunday to ensure the school week is no longer hot.
An expensive cooler unit had previously been brought in to help cool the school.
Garcia said his daughter disputes Salinas-Deleon's claim that fans helped circulate air through the building as it just remained hot. He said the school should have sent students home when they realized the school would not cool down.
"They're (students) not able to focus and you do have people that react different to situations. And, in my case, my daughter has high anxiety," he said
Garcia said this has been a constant issue for years now. He recalls extracurricular events he attended last year where heat was an issue.
"They've always had issues. We come to awards assemblies again and the awards assemblies are extremely hot. It's not comfortable. You're ready to leave instead of enjoying watching your child do good," he said.
A CCISD board member confirmed some maintenance was done over the weekend at Miller High School. They said a valve was left in the "off" position when it should have been in the "bypass" position.
Corpus Christi Fire Chief Brandon Wade also confirmed a crew was dispatched to Miller High School on Tuesday morning, but the call did not come in as heat related.
KRIS 6 News asked CCISD administration a few times for an interview regarding the situation but they declined the request or did not respond.
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