Oakland Schools Unveil Plan to Cool Sweltering Classrooms

OUSD will install window films, blinds, and temperature sensors this summer to address heat issues in elementary schools.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 11:30pm

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style illustration of a classroom window fan repeated in a grid pattern, using a vibrant neon color palette to transform the everyday object into a bold, pop art-inspired image.OUSD's plan to install cooling upgrades in classrooms aims to address long-standing heat issues that have made learning difficult for students.Oakland Today

After months of community pressure, Oakland Unified School District has outlined a plan to make classrooms less sweltering during August and September heat waves. This summer, the district will focus on low-cost, short-term improvements at elementary schools, including installing protective window films, adding blinds, and planting more trees. Every classroom will also get a temperature sensor to help guide future investments, including major HVAC upgrades.

Why it matters

Most OUSD school buildings lack air conditioning, and heat waves during warmer months can cause classroom temperatures to soar above 80 degrees, making it more difficult for students to learn and teachers to teach. In the last five years, those heat waves have become hotter and more frequent, making the issue more urgent.

The details

OUSD's $8 million heat mitigation plan will fund improvements like window films, blinds, and exterior shade structures at 14 elementary schools this summer. The district is also applying for additional grants to support a long-term strategy that could take a decade and cost over $500 million to fully address the problem across all classrooms.

  • This summer, OUSD will implement the initial heat mitigation improvements.
  • By the end of the summer, every Oakland classroom will get a temperature sensor.

The players

Oakland Unified School District

The public school district serving the city of Oakland, California.

Preston Thomas

OUSD's chief systems and services officer.

JaQuan Cornish

OUSD facilities project manager.

Rachael Kirk-Cortez

A Sequoia Elementary parent who has advocated for OUSD to address hot classrooms.

Jasper LaFortune

A teacher at Elmhurst United Middle School who criticized OUSD's lack of urgency around secondary schools.

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What they’re saying

“The overall facilities approach to shift towards more active cooling is going to take a significant amount of time and a significant amount of dollars. It's going to require additional funding through future bonds and a long-term strategy that's going to be potentially a decade long to address these issues. While we have $8 million now, it's a drop in the bucket for a problem that's at least half a billion dollars, if not more.”

— Preston Thomas, OUSD Chief Systems and Services Officer

“Beginning summer of 2026 we are prioritizing second story, south and west [facing] classrooms at elementary schools. In addition to the window film implementation we're also going to look at some reflective blinds. This will be case by case. Every school is not the same, so we'll have to make sure that we do adequate assessments to make sure that we can address those where we can.”

— JaQuan Cornish, OUSD Facilities Project Manager

“When you start investing in dignified learning conditions, you're going to have the money. Oakland parents are making rational choices based on the options that you are providing them, and they're choosing to go where their kids are going to have dignity.”

— Jasper LaFortune, Teacher at Elmhurst United Middle School

“Do not slow down the immediate work and do not over complicate it. The group of us in the room today are the current faces of over a decade of advocacy on this issue, and you can be the board that says that children's safety does not need to wait until we have a perfect plan.”

— Rachael Kirk-Cortez, Sequoia Elementary Parent

What’s next

The OUSD facilities committee voted to advance a resolution to the full school board that directs staff to take heat mitigation action by August 2026 and provide regular updates on the work.

The takeaway

OUSD's heat mitigation plan is a step in the right direction, but the district still faces a massive, long-term challenge to fully address sweltering classroom conditions across its schools. Continued community advocacy will be crucial to ensure OUSD follows through on its commitments and secures the necessary funding to create comfortable learning environments for all students.