Puerto Rico Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés told the House Education Committee on Wednesday that it may take several years before air conditioning can be uniformly installed in public school classrooms, because many campuses lack the electrical capacity to support it. "I would like us all to be in comfortable temperatures, but we are far from that," he said, adding that the fix requires large investments in electrical generation and infrastructure as well as equipment.
"I would like us all to be in comfortable temperatures, but we are far from that," he said
He was responding to questions under House Resolution 365, which examines the government’s response to recent heat waves and drinking water availability in schools. As a temporary measure, the Education Department issued a protocol on August 6 with heat-prevention strategies for the 2026-27 school year, is pursuing reforestation to create shaded refuge areas, has adjusted uniform policies, and its School Nursing Program has protocols to identify heat-illness symptoms.
Committee Chair Tatiana Pérez Ramírez said mitigation plans do little for students sitting in overheated classrooms. An August 2025 evaluation of 424 schools found 6,548 of 11,831 classrooms had air-conditioning units, but only 2,758 had functioning cooling. About 6,000 drinking fountains were distributed to the seven regional offices in 2025-26.
National Weather Service director Ernesto Rodríguez said 36% of schools are in high or critical heat-risk areas, including 34% of those serving children under 12, based on satellite analysis of 864 schools. Ponce has the highest share (50.7%), followed by Bayamón (45%) and San Juan (42%). The Public Buildings Authority said 44 schools await painting funds ($29 million) and 44 need waterproofing ($37.4 million), and its executive director, Félix Lassalle, said overtime maintenance cost about $1.5 million.