Complaints about cold buildings addressed 

Richmond Community Schools has issued a statement to address concerns posted on social media about heat in some of its buildings.

Brad Walton, facilities director, said staff walk through all facilities before school starts each day.

On Monday, Dec. 2, district officials became aware of a small number of classrooms and office spaces where the temperatures were not within comfortable limits, a news release said.

Walton said it’s a normal seasonal occurrence for RCS’ service and maintenance team to respond to reports from building administrators about temperature irregularities in specific classrooms or certain sections of buildings.

He said in some cases, a thermostat adjustment fixes the issue, but in others, a heating/ventilation/air conditioning system repair might be needed, and both are addressed in a timely manner.

Despite experiencing a ransomware attack earlier this fall, RCS officials say there was no impact on the ability to deliver climate control into its buildings. However, that attack has made repairs and monitoring more challenging for the district’s maintenance personnel.

“Our team is addressing any and all issues as quickly as possible in order to maintain a healthy and safe learning environment,” the release said.

RCS officials recommend that staff and students dress in layers during cold weather months “to afford themselves the opportunity to appropriately adjust their clothing to changing temperatures.”