3 Watsonville Schools Struggled With Heating Issues This Year

WATSONVILLE, CA — Students at three Watsonville schools have been without heat at some point during the current school year, the Pajaro Valley Unified School District said. Repairs have been completed at E. A. Hall Middle, and the district expects heat to be restored to classrooms at Cesar Chavez Middle and Watsonville High by the time students return from winter break. Until then, portable heaters have been placed in classrooms and additional heaters are available upon request.

E. A. Hall Middle's heating issues were caused by a damaged HVAC line, but aging gas lines are likely to blame for problems at both Cesar Chavez Middle and Watsonville High, said Joe Dominguez, the district's chief business officer. PVUSD is currently assessing its deferred maintenance backlog across all campuses and creating a long-term plan to address issues caused by aging gas lines, plumbing, electrical and HVAC infrastructure, he said. School buildings are as young as seven years old and up to about 50 years old.

"Yes, I'm concerned for aging infrastructure," Dominguez said.

KSBW first reported last week that Cesar Chavez Middle had been without heat since September, and chilly classroom temperatures were making it hard for students to focus. Some had starting bringing blankets to class, according to the station's report.

Patch shared the KSBW report on Thursday and readers soon pointed out that the E. A. Hall Middle and Watsonville High campuses had experienced similar issues.

Dominguez said the district was informed Friday of heating issues at E. A. Hall Middle and quickly repaired the damaged HVAC line.

Watsonville High began experiencing issues around the end of September and repaired multiple gas line leaks during the school year. The district tested the lines and found additional leaks, so it shut off gas.

The district opted to hold off on repairs until Dec. 19, the first day of winter break, because repairs must be made to infrastructure under cement in the main, high-traffic part of the campus quad, Dominguez said. It would not be safe to begin work while school is in session, he said.

PVUSD anticipates Watsonville High repairs will be complete by the time students return from winter break. The construction area will be fenced off out of an abundance of caution, Dominguez said. It's unclear how much the repairs will cost at this time.

Watsonville High's gas lines are older than those at Cesar Chavez Middle, where gas lines are about 60 years old, Dominguez said.

As for Cesar Chavez Middle, repairs are underway and are expected to be finished in just over two weeks. The gas lines were so old that it was determined they had to be replaced, Dominguez said. He estimated the cost would be around $20,000 to $25,000.

Before the new gas lines at Cesar Chavez Middle and Watsonville High can be operational, the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. must retest and certify them.