FULLERTON : Tempers Rise Over Air Conditioners

Tempers heated up earlier this week as parents and school board members argued over the best way to air-condition Fullerton elementary classrooms during hot summer months.

Parents and residents angrily accused the board of “socialist” measures when three members said the cash-strapped school district won’t accept money earmarked to buy air conditioners for selected schools, yet leave schools in poorer areas neglected.

Citing concerns over equal opportunity, the board members said parents ought to raise money on a districtwide basis so all students have an equal chance of beating the heat.

But many parents disagreed.

“If money is so tight, how can you look a gift horse in the mouth?” said Diane Czypull, 37, who is part of a group that has been trying to get the school board’s approval to raise money for air-conditioning for the Laguna Road Elementary School.

“We are more than willing to help you out,” Czypull said.

Parents at Acacia Elementary School raised money and donated five air-conditioning units to their school last summer, but board members said Tuesday they will no longer accept such donations.

The board has not voted formally on the issue and instead handles each gift donation on an ad hoc basis.

Board members Robert C. Fisler, Elena Reyes-Jones and Rosamaria Gomez-Amaro said they oppose allowing parents to raise money to buy air conditioners for a particular school, while members Karen Chavez and Marjorie Pogue said they agreed with the parents.

“I feel that if parents are willing to do extra time (fund-raising) for their schools, that’s their choice,” Pogue said. But Gomez-Amaro said the school board is under the obligation to insure “equal educational opportunity” when accepting gifts.

“We don’t want to turn down any money that’s going to help the district, but we want to make sure it doesn’t create imbalances,” she said.

Reyes-Jones explained that although some parent groups are successful at raising money, schools in poorer areas may not be as successful, and the school district doesn’t have the money to buy air conditioners for them. Most of the district’s 17 schools and 11,000 students are without air-conditioning, Reyes-Jones said.

“We don’t want to exacerbate the inequity,” Reyes-Jones said.

Fair or not, cool air is a hot topic, especially when classroom temperatures soar past the 100-degree mark.

“The number of children who go home on hot days with headaches and lose education is appalling,” said Lynne Frutchey, 35, a kindergarten teacher at Laguna Road Elementary.

Frutchey called the board’s decision “extreme” and suggested the district turn off all its air conditioners, including the units in the board members’ offices, until the problem is solved.

Even residents with no children in the school system came to the board meeting to offer their opinion.

“It’s socialism, and you’re driving everyone down to the lowest level,” 72-year-old Charles Ford told the board.

“This is not the American way,” agreed Pat Lochrie, who has one child in private school. “It’s ridiculous that this board thinks it has any right at all to take its hands and stick them into these kids’ pockets for something they’ve raised for their school,” she said.