Baltimore Teachers Call For Donated Fans, District Resists

Baltimore's teacher union is calling for fans to be donated to schools as sweltering heat pushes classroom temperatures into the hundreds, but the district says electrical infrastructure may not be equipped to handle it.

WBAL-TV 11's Tim Tooten reports the union hopes to hand out 500 fans in response to a lack of functional air-conditioning in city schools, some of which have none at all.

"All I can focus on is feeling that sweat just coming out and I look over at the kid and they're sweating, and all we want to do is take a break and get some water and open the window," said Brittany Johnson, a Baltimore City school counselor.

But Baltimore Schools Chief Operations Officer Lynette Washington is warning against it, saying the buildings don't have the electrical load to withstand it. School officials are instead planning to install hundreds of vertical package units at around $20,000 a piece.

The union is pushing back. President Diamonté Brown is quoted by the paper as responding: "If you're so concerned about the electricity being overloaded, then fix it."

The union has set up a donation page on its website.

The Baltimore Teachers Union is asking the public to donate fans as they anticipate a “hot” start to the school year @BTUBaltimore @wbaltv11 #hotschools #airconditioning pic.twitter.com/yLuwd3XnYm — TIM TOOTEN SR (@tvtooten) August 13, 2019