By admin 
TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) — About 75% of classrooms in the Torrance Unified School District do not have air conditioning, creating difficult learning conditions for students and staff as extreme heat grips the South Bay.
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The district’s more than 30 schools include many buildings constructed in the 1960s. At North High School, students described struggling to stay comfortable and focused during Tuesday’s high temperatures.
“It’s been kind of like stressful. I’m sweating a lot… The heat makes you feel really weird, and it’s hard to concentrate on my work when it’s this hot,” one student said.
Another student said the conditions can make it difficult.
“It’s a bit annoying because it’s pretty hot and it makes you feel sticky and sweaty,” another student said.
The district said it has implemented several measures to help students, teachers and staff cope with the heat.
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“We’re making sure that cooling zones are located at all of our schools so that staff and students can rotate through,” said Sara Baillie of Torrance Unified School District. “We’ve got hydration stations, additional ice. We’ve brought in some slushees for the kids. We’re reminding them about wearing loose fitting clothing, having light colored clothing.”
District officials are also researching a potential bond measure for infrastructure improvements that would include installing air conditioning units and solar panels to help power them. The project could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
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In the shorter term, Torrance Unified is considering whether to cancel classes during periods of excessive heat.
“We’re working long term with our union partners,” Baillie said. “On the East Coast, they have snow days where you can take a day, maybe a minimum day or a full day and because of the state’s requirement for instructional minutes you can add it on to the end of the year.”
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