Pueblo schools truck in fans, bottled water to keep kids cool

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Schools in Pueblo have bought hundreds of fans, changed the dress code and are shipping in cases of water all to help their students and teachers cope with the heat. The health department issued a warning yesterday after temperatures in some classrooms reached the low 90's.

At Highland Park Elementary, principal Alan Berry has moved students out of the hottest classrooms and into the air conditioned library during the heat of the afternoon.

"We had the windows open there the other day and we were pulling in air that's hotter that what's already in the rooms," Berry said.

Shorts are encouraged, as well as water bottles. Recesses are abbreviated and the district has emptied hardware store shelves buying up fans.

District spokesman Greg Sinn says the average school here is more than 55 years old, and some are more than 100. But only about half of the total building space has air conditioning.

Voters rejected a ballot measure in 2008 that specifically asked for a $70 million in debt to install air condition in all of the buildings.

Sinn says the school calendar has also moved earlier into the summer to give teachers and students more time to prepare for standardized testing.

"With some of the added pressure of testing .. the calendar has been extended somewhat, but we'll be looking at modifying the calendar in the future."

Classes will not be canceled but Sinn says parents can keep their kids home if they don't feel it's safe.

"If parents don't feel that the learning environment is appropriate for those kiddos then parents have the option, just like any other day, to keep their children at home."