MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — “Temperatures are a really big factor in learning,” Waco ISD director of operations Alexander Villanueva said.
Winter break is coming to an end and local school districts are preparing to welcome students back to class. But with freezing temperatures expected at the end of this week, both Midway ISD and Waco ISD are taking extra precautions to keep students safe—and warm.
“All the same prep work and measures go into keeping the buildings warm and safe like you do at your house,” Midway ISD Director of Operations Ken Wolf said.
Wolf told 25 News that each campus' irrigation systems are drained, hoses are removed or sealed, and salt is ready in case it gets icy.
Schools are going to be warmer, too.
“Usually, it sets back to about 50 degrees. We'll run it up to about 60 just to add a little extra heat in the building,” Wolf said.
“We'll make sure we keep kids warm in the morning and after school,” Midway High School principal Alison Smith said.
Smith told 25 News that dress code standards are the same—but encourages students to dress warmly. They will send text and email updates through Parent Square.
Waco ISD said it purchased portable HVAC units to keep classrooms running normally.
“During the break, we did inspections on all our generators just to make sure that they were ready if we lost power,” Villanueva said.
The district completed inspecting units in its buildings and has checked on prior issues that could increase during weather changes.
Waco ISD started prepping buses on Monday.
“We've started running, ensuring all the heaters are working. The batteries are fully charged. All the tires have their proper amount of air pressure in them,” Waco ISD assistant director of transportation Monique Brock said.
Typically, students are asked to wait 5 to 10 minutes before their pickup time, but drivers are not enforcing that this week.
“We will wait. We understand that it's cold. Our number one concern is our students. So, we want to do anything that we can on our end to make this a bit easier for the parents,” Brock said.
