WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – Parents at three Brevard County Schools in West Melbourne were told Monday that they could pick up students after officials said the air conditioning is not working on a day with "feels-like" temperatures in the triple digits.
West Melbourne police said Meadowlane Primary, Meadowland Intermediate and Central Middle School are all without working air conditioning. The schools share the same campus. The phone lines are also down and updates are being communicated to the public through the West Melbourne Police Department Facebook page.
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With the lack of rain, temperatures will heat up Monday afternoon, with highs soaring well above average into the mid-90s. "Feels like" temperatures will nearly reach triple digits.
The schools will remain open; however, students who are signed out will be excused, police said.
"The maintenance crews are on site and working on it. Fans and portable chillers are also being brought to the schools,” Brevard Public Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Wolfinger told News 6 partner Florida Today. "Obviously, parents are welcome to check their students out of school if they want to."
However, a teacher at Central Middle School said her classroom had not received any help to relieve the heat.
"We have NOT received chillers or water from the district,' she said in an email to News 6 My classroom has the HEAT on because of their incompetent management of facilities. Brevard needs to fix their facilities and stop misleading the public."
News 6 asked if all classrooms had been provided with chillers and water.
"The air conditioning chillers for Meadowlane Primary and Intermediate and Central Middle schools are up and running," Wolfinger said. "Technicians will be monitoring the system closely for the next few days."
The absences will be marked as excused, authorities reported.