4 days ago
‘Absolutely unacceptable': Parents raise concerns over hot, overcrowded school portables during B.C. heat wave
A portable classroom in New Westminster is seen on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (CTV News)
During this unseasonably warm start to June, some parents are speaking out about stifling conditions inside portable classrooms, where they say students are struggling to learn in overheated, overcrowded spaces.
In New Westminster, Kathleen Carlsen — a parent and school trustee — says the lack of proper cooling systems is putting children's well-being at risk.
'This is absolutely unacceptable,' Carlsen said. 'There's no air conditioning. There's absolutely no air conditioning.'
Carlsen is calling on the province to provide permanent funding to cool these classrooms.
'Dedicated long-term funding for cooling and air conditioning systems. It's pretty simple,' she said.
A typical portable classroom at Lord Kelvin Elementary contains roughly 30 to 35 students and staff. On warm days, staff report temperatures ranging from the high 20s to the mid 30s Celsius.
Laura Kwong, chair of the New Westminster District Parent Advisory Council, said some students have come home sick after spending hours in overheated portables.
'We've heard about kids going home with heat stroke, throwing up, perhaps — and then kids who have additional or complex medical needs where overheating is a real medical concern for them,' Kwong said.
Mark Davidson, the superintendent of School District 40, acknowledged the issue, but pointed to the high costs of addressing it.
'(The) cost of placing cooling units in them, for the 53 that we have, would be well over $1.3 million in order to place those units. That does not take into account the cost of bumping up our power grids in order to be able to handle the increased power draw in those schools,' Davidson said. 'We do follow WorkSafe regulations around whether or not it's a safe place to work and attend school, but when it gets up to 28 or 30 degrees, it's uncomfortable. It makes it hard to learn. It makes it hard to teach.'
B.C.'s Ministry of Infrastructure says that over the last seven years, the province has invested nearly $6 billion in schools to create more than 80,000 student seats that are either completed or underway.
The ministry says that while the province provides funding for school upgrades, decisions on cooling and ventilation — including in portables — are made by individual school districts based on local priorities.
The province says $150 million has been invested over the past three years to improve HVAC systems across B.C., and that all classrooms have either mechanical ventilation or standalone HEPA filters, maintained regularly by districts. Schools are also encouraged to educate families about heat risks and take steps to keep students safe during extreme temperatures.
While the spotlight is currently on New Westminster, concerns over portable conditions are not limited to that district.
In Surrey — home to some of the province's most overcrowded schools — parents have raised similar alarms. According to Surrey District Parent Advisory Council President Anne Whitmore, nine Surrey schools have 10 or more portables on site, while 23 others have between five and nine.
'These portables — originally meant to be short-term solutions — are now permanent fixtures in many over-capacity schools,' Whitemore said. 'Without proper cooling or ventilation, temperatures inside have reached 33 C or higher, while some older permanent classrooms have hit 44 C on hot days.'
Whitmore says such conditions are not only uncomfortable, but can make learning nearly impossible. Some parents have even kept their children home during the hottest days, especially when no indoor spaces are available for relief.
Parents like Carlsen say they'll continue pressing the province and school districts for permanent solutions.
'I consider it advocacy for our kids,' she said. 'Because they're worth it.'
