As the school year starts earlier, AC systems struggle to keep up

Every spring, every fall, this time of year, August, September, we are fighting the air conditioning wars

And they're holding their breath as kids start filing back to school

School districts around the country are heading back to class, some sooner than others

Houston, Texas is home to the eighth largest district in the country. The city is also located in one of the country's hottest states

So when the AC is on the fritz, people notice. Am I going to keep the kid home

You know, because it's 90 degrees in the classroom. I'm a working parent. I don't really have that luxury

Leah Kiefer has two daughters who attended Harvard Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District last year

Harvard Elementary opened its doors in 1898. In 1980, the main part of the school was demolished and expanded

However, historic pieces remain throughout the school. When a building is that old, utilities can be a challenge

It does get challenging at times, but our team steps up and addresses pretty much every single work order in a timely manner

Gianni Ledesma is the executive director for facility maintenance operator for the Houston Independent School District

School district records obtained by SAN show more than 1 urgent and emergency maintenance requests last August alone There was no AC upstairs or downstairs August 16th and the temperature

in one classroom read 90 degrees. That's eight degrees above what the district deems acceptable

It was out of control. It was something that was out of control, something that happened that couldn't be foreseen. This year, school starts two weeks earlier than two years ago

which doesn't sit well with many parents. It frustrates me as an HIC parent and a Houston taxpayer

that we're spending money on that really expensive chiller as a temporary solution without really fixing the HVAC issues

But for now, a large device in the parking lot called a chiller

will kick on as temporary aid when the HVAC has issues. It's the district's answer to keep kids comfortable

and hopefully help put parents' concerns on ice. It happens rarely, very rare, but I can't say it's not going to stop, but it may happen

Houston is not the only school district that opened earlier this school year

Other districts around the country face their own battles. Straight Arrow News talked to students, parents, and experts around the country

To hear their perspective, download the Straight Arrow News app today. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey