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Parents urge Box Elder board to fix overheated classrooms, back bond to replace aging schools
Summary
Parents at the Box Elder School District meeting urged the board to address heat in older schools—citing McKinley Elementary’s lack of air conditioning—and to support a bond to fund new buildings and repairs, saying poor conditions harm learning and drive teacher turnover.
Keisha Miller, a parent with two children at McKinley Elementary, told the Box Elder School District board that McKinley has no air conditioning and that classrooms can be "unbearable" for students and staff, adding that some children have said they do not want to return because of the heat.
"Would any of you like to work full time in an office that has no air conditioning?" Miller asked, arguing the district needs a districtwide solution rather than piecemeal patches. She said heat harms focus, memory and health and urged the board to treat improvements as a matter of dignity and safety.
Andrea Paige, who identified herself at the meeting as a parent with children at North Park Elementary, urged community support for a bond that would finance new buildings and repairs. Paige said overcrowding, frequent short days and water leaks have driven teachers to quit and that the district must prioritize funding schools even if it requires higher taxes.
The board did not take action during the public-comment period; the chair closed public comment after the scheduled speakers and moved on to agenda items. The remarks add to public pressure on the district to advance facility upgrades and to provide clearer timelines for projects affecting McKinley, North Park and other older schools.
Next steps noted during the meeting included opportunities for the board and staff to follow up: the district's personnel and facilities teams will continue planning and the public may receive written responses if additional study is required, per the board’s public-comment rules.
