Imagine a child sweltering in a classroom , trying to learn arithmetic or spell “necessary” as temperatures climb toward 100 degrees.
As California faces record-breaking temperatures, schools across Santa Barbara County are racing to keep classrooms cool. But aging infrastructure and high costs stand in the way — and a state grant program meant to help pay for upgrades may expire before many projects are finished.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District applied for a $6 million grant through CalSHAPE (California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency program) to replace gas furnaces with electric heat pumps, which provide air conditioning, at five schools.