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Students and staff urge Hazleton Area SD to fix overheating classrooms, reconsider uniforms and clarify security equipment plans
Summary
Paraprofessionals and students told the board about overheated classrooms and urged investment in facilities rather than non-instructional spending; a paraprofessional urged districtwide uniforms and a student reported a classmate fainted in a room reaching 103–105°F and raised concerns about a proposed weapons purchase for school police.
Paraprofessionals and students told the Hazleton Area SD board that overheating classrooms and inconsistent dress-code enforcement are harming learning and safety, and they urged the district to prioritize repairs and clear communication about security equipment and phone-collection policies.
Jenny Paredes, who identified herself as a paraprofessional at the high school, urged the board to consider student uniforms to help enforce the dress code and reduce parent expense. "I think if we implement dress code for the kids, it will be easier," she said, adding that some classrooms have reached extreme temperatures and that maintenance and contractors should investigate persistent ventilation problems.
Student Elena Arias described a recent incident she said left a classmate incapacitated. "A girl in my class blacked out. The nurse had to come get her and take her out in a wheelchair. She couldn't see. It was very, very hot in Room 205," Arias said. She also questioned whether the district had fixed air conditioning at West Hastings and urged more investment in building maintenance. Arias praised strong funding for JROTC but questioned other spending priorities and asked the board to clarify how a forthcoming 'bell-to-bell' phone policy will operate in practice.
Arias raised a separate claim about security equipment, saying the district had considered equipping school police with 21 rifles at $72,000. That claim was made by a student during public comment and the transcript does not contain a detailed board response; earlier in the meeting item 46 — from the security block — had been removed from the grouped approval and was not approved as part of the voice vote on items 41–45.
Board reaction and follow-up: board members acknowledged the student and staff concerns and directed maintenance and contractors to investigate reported air-conditioning and ventilation problems. A board member thanked students for speaking and noted administrators will work with principals and administrators to implement phone-collection plans tailored to each school level. The transcript records no formal policy change during the meeting; staff noted some items will be implemented for the new school year after parent notification and procedure development.
What’s next: staff committed to look into AC/ventilation issues and to meet with building principals on phone policy implementation ahead of the next school year.
