Petition to the Torrance Unified School District Board of Education: Fund Campus Air-Conditioning Retrofits

I am a parent of a student in the Torrance Unified School District (TUSD), and I am extremely concerned about the well-being and learning environment of our children and educators. As the Superintendent has confirmed, 73% of our school classrooms do not have air-conditioning, and many of our schools lack the electrical and roofing capacity needed to install it. With temperatures soaring in Torrance, having a conducive classroom environment is not just about comfort — it's about the health and productivity of both students and teachers.

Imagine trying to concentrate on a complex math problem or absorb the nuances of a historical event in a classroom that often climbs above 80°F. This is the daily reality for a majority of our roughly 22,023 students and 875 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers. It's not just uncomfortable — it's unfair and untenable, and it affects both academic performance and teacher retention.

The research on this is clear and growing:

• A landmark study of 10 million U.S. students found that without air-conditioning, a 1°F warmer school year reduces that year's learning by 1% — and that school-level air-conditioning largely offsets this effect (Goodman, Hurwitz, Park & Smith, Heat and Learning, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2020).
• A study tracking environmental data alongside student records in a large urban district found that hot days increase disciplinary referrals — but only in schools without air-conditioning (McCormack, Temperature, Student Absenteeism, and Disciplinary Infractions, Resources for the Future).
• The American Psychological Association's 2026 report on extreme heat and schools found that spiking temperatures measurably affect children's attention, memory, and decision-making, and recommends that schools "treat heat like a snow day for cognition."

The current state of our infrastructure is outdated and insufficient, and much of it lacks the electrical and roofing capacity to support new air-conditioning installations. Per a TUSD 2026-27 Back-to-School Highlights email from the Communications Department sent on August 20th, 2026,  retrofitting our campuses to fix this would cost over $520 million- a substantial figure, but a critical investment in our children's health, learning, and our community's future. To fund this work, TUSD needs to place a bond measure on the ballot.

A bond of this scale would not only ensure a safer, more effective learning environment, but would also strengthen the value of our community's schools and homes over the long term. Spread across the community, the cost becomes a feasible, shared investment rather than an unreachable one.

I urge the TUSD Board of Education to prioritize our children's learning conditions by addressing this need urgently. It's time to invest in our infrastructure for the sake of our students' health, their education, and our community's future.

Please sign this petition to urge the TUSD Board of Education to place this necessary bond measure on the ballot. Together, we can provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for all our students and educators.

 
Sources:
Goodman, J., Hurwitz, M., Park, R.J., & Smith, J. (2020). "Heat and Learning." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12(2), 306–339. Originally NBER Working Paper No. 24639.

McCormack, K. "Education Under Extremes: Temperature, Student Absenteeism, and Disciplinary Infractions." Resources for the Future / Harvard University. https://kristen-mccormack.com/files/mccormack_jmp.pdf

American Psychological Association. "Extreme Heat Report and Recommendations." https://www.apa.org/topics/schools-classrooms/extreme-heat-report-takeaways

TUSD enrollment and staffing figures: 22,023 students, 875.84 FTE teachers (2024–2025), Torrance Unified School District.

73% classroom AC figure and $520 million retrofit estimate: statement from the TUSD 2026-27 Back-to-School Highlights email from the Communications Department, August 20th, 2026