Henrico Education Association addresses HVAC issues

August 20, 2026 - 06:22

With the new school year set to begin in just a few days, the Henrico Education Association is raising alarms about broken air conditioning systems at roughly ten schools across the county. The group, which represents teachers and support staff, says the problem is widespread enough to affect the learning environment before students even walk through the doors.

According to a spokesperson for the association, the issues range from complete system failures to units that are struggling to keep up with the late summer heat. While the exact schools were not named, the representative emphasized that the problem is not limited to older buildings. Some newer facilities are also experiencing difficulties, which suggests a broader maintenance and repair backlog.

The association is calling on the school division to provide a clear timeline for repairs and to communicate openly with families and staff. They are also asking for temporary solutions, such as portable cooling units or relocating classes to cooler parts of the buildings, if fixes cannot be completed quickly.

County officials have acknowledged the concerns but have not yet released a full list of affected schools or a detailed repair schedule. They did state that maintenance crews are working overtime to address the most critical failures before the first day of class.

For parents, the news adds another layer of uncertainty to an already busy back-to-school week. The association has promised to keep monitoring the situation and will push for regular updates until every classroom is comfortable and safe for learning.