Education addresses AC woes frustrating kitchen staff at 2 schools, promises relief

Barely two months into the new academic year and the V.I. Department of Education is forced to address problems at schools said to be ready for students on opening day back in August.

On Wednesday, the department issued a joint statement with the Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance titled “Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance Addresses Concerns of Kitchen Staff and Joseph Gomez Elementary School and Lockhart K-8 School.” The statement noted that both the department and bureau “are aware of the concerns raised by the dedicated kitchen staff at both Joseph A. Gomez Elementary School and Lockhart K-8 School regarding the working conditions in their respective kitchens.”

At Gomez school officials have been “addressing challenges with the air conditioning system,” the release stated, but problems — including WAPA outages — persist.

“Despite ongoing efforts, including frequent repairs, several factors have hindered the AC units from operating at full capacity. One significant issue has been recurring power surges on the campus, which have negatively impacted the performance of electrical equipment, including the AC units,” the release stated. “The surges cause fluctuating power levels, making it difficult to maintain consistent cooling, particularly in the kitchen area.”