'An oven': Paterson middle school students swelter as air conditioning gets replaced

PATERSON — Students and employees at New Roberto Clemente School had to sweat things out this week as temperatures rose into the mid-80s because the building's air-conditioning is being replaced.

The head of Paterson’s teachers’ union blamed district officials for not fixing the longstanding air-conditioning problem sooner, and instead waiting until the warmest part of the academic year to start the work.

Paterson Education Association President John McEntee Jr. said New Roberto Clemente School was “scorching hot” this week, a situation that he said was exacerbated by windows that swing open only partially, not allowing for full breezes to cool occupants.

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“It becomes an oven in there,” McEntee said.

City education officials said their goal for finishing the air conditioning installation is September 1, meaning the school must go through another warm-weather month in June using fans to cool off.

Several school board members contracted by Paterson Press this week said they were unaware that the cooling system at New Roberto Clemente was being replaced.

A spokesman said the district was aware of the ongoing problems with the air conditioning but had to wait until it got the funding before it could start the $889,093 project.

“The work requires heavy equipment and some reconstruction that cannot be done with students and staff on site due to the obvious safety concerns that the work poses,” said a statement issued by spokesman Dan Juan.

“Once approved, plans were confirmed and work began immediately, the least intrusive preparation work taking place first,” Juan added.

Joel Ramirez, who is a school board member as well as director of health and human services for Paterson’s city government, said he wasn’t aware of any heat complaints lodged with the municipal offices.

Councilman Luis Velez, who represents the 5th Ward where the school is located, said none of his constituents have contacted him about excessive heat at New Roberto Clemente, a middle school with about 650 students.

The school opened in 2005 and was built by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Paterson also has a Roberto Clemente School for grades K through 4, which opened in 1920.

"It is completely unacceptable that the students and staff will be forced to endure sweltering temperatures until early September,” said McEntee, the union president.

“The facilities director has been made aware of this year after year, and yet here we are again," he said. "What is it going to take to get the air conditioning to work properly? This isn't rocket science.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson students swelter as air conditioning gets replaced