Tim Stowe

Dear Members of the Change.org Community and Torrance Unified Families,

Thank you for your advocacy and shared commitment to our students' and staff's well-being. I want to address your petition directly, lay out the financial and structural realities we face, and share how we are actively working to bring relief to our classrooms.

The Challenges & Community Polling: Approximately 75% of our classrooms lack central air conditioning, largely because most of our schools were built in the 1950s–1970s when coastal temperatures rarely required mechanical cooling. Fully outfitting our campuses is not as simple as mounting units; it will require a massive electrical grid overhaul, roof modifications, and offsetting solar infrastructure at an estimated cost of $520 million.

Because operating budgets cannot cover capital projects of this scale, California school districts rely on local voter-approved bonds. In early 2026, we conducted a scientific poll of Torrance voters. While results showed support for general modernization (in the $250M–$375M range), likely voter support fell short of the 55% majority needed to pass a $520M bond specifically for districtwide A/C. Placing a measure on the ballot without a viable path to passage would have been an irresponsible use of public resources.

Below, I’ll detail the actions we've taken and our path forward. The Board and staff know that it was hot and very uncomfortable. Days with hot weather like on Sept. 9th and 10th are not conducive to good learning unless the inside temperature can be brought down significantly. The Board of Education has asked for more information regarding our path forward for heat mitigation at our October 12, 2026 Board meeting. Please tune in to see that information, and we will post a link to that portion of the meeting at tusd.org/heat the next day.

What We Are Doing Now
We are not standing still. We are actively taking steps to mitigate heat across our campuses:
• Ongoing Upgrades: Beginning more than three years ago, we investigated and have been installing playground heat mitigation measures. These include painting asphalt in lighter colors, installing tree wells, adding shade structures, and building outdoor learning environments (also with tree canopies). We are rolling more of these improvements out to sites each year.
• Dedicated Construction: Construction of permanent cooling zones is planned this year for the three of our schools that currently don’t have a single area with A/C.
• Immediate Campus Protocols: During heat alerts, we deploy high-powered fans, run air-conditioned mobile cooling buses, open hydration stations, rotate classes into cooling zones, and adjust P.E. and athletic activities.
• Heat Mitigation Pilots: We have established a Heat Mitigation Task Force to pilot and test cost-effective, site-specific solutions during the 2026–2027 school year, such as ventilative cooling, reflective cool roofs, shade structures, and localized split-system A/C where electrical panels allow.

Looking Ahead: Our strategy is to address our hottest spaces first with proven, cost-efficient solutions. By testing these strategies in our schools now, we can build a solid, transparent plan to bring back to donors and voters for potential bond funding as early as 2028.

Thank you for voicing your concerns on behalf of our students. We remain committed to keeping our community informed as we work toward sustainable solutions.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tim Stowe
Superintendent of Schools
Torrance Unified School District