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Parents and teacher urge fixes to HVAC and student bathrooms at Hamtramck schools
Summary
Public commenters raised concerns about uneven classroom temperatures after new ventilation work and urged the district to prioritize bathroom replacement at Ham High. A teacher invited board members to shadow classrooms to understand challenges faced by EL students.
During the public-comment portion of the Hamtramck School District board meeting, community members raised facilities and instructional concerns.
HVAC and classroom temperatures: Public commenter Sunny Coral told the board that new ventilation systems across district buildings are not yet consistent in performance. Coral said some classrooms have registered temperatures as high as about 80°F while others have dropped into the high 50s, forcing teachers and students to wear coats or hats indoors at times. Coral said her issue at one building was resolved after speaking with a staff member (identified in the record as "Comer") but urged continued district attention: "If it's not good enough for my child, it's not good enough for our babies here." The board did not respond to the comment during the meeting; the presiding officer said presenting officers would refer questions to the superintendent for follow-up and research.
Bathroom facilities and classroom visits: High-school teacher Bill Albert invited board members and administrators to shadow his classroom to see the challenges faced by English Learner (EL) students and to better understand day-to-day needs. Albert urged the board to move the Ham High bathroom replacement from second priority to first priority in the district facilities assessment, describing student bathrooms as "awful" and offering to provide photos. He noted that improvements have been made to the building overall but said bathroom replacement remains an ongoing concern.
Community events: Board members also thanked volunteers and partners for recent community efforts — including Mittens for Detroit and volunteers named in the record — and noted Dickinson East’s Multilingual Journey event as a positive cultural showcase for students.
The public-comments period concluded without an on-the-spot response from the board; the presiding officer said public questions would be referred to the superintendent for research and response.
