KIEFER, Okla. — Multiple parents are raising concerns about elementary school children eating lunch in gymnasiums without air conditioning at Kiefer Public Schools during extreme heat, with some children reportedly getting sick.
Parents say the school has large fans in the gyms, but describe them as just "stirring around the heat."
One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, sent an email outlining the concern.
"If the OSSAA says it's too hot for HIGH SCHOOL football players to be outside in the heat, then it is far too hot to have ELEMENTARY children in gyms with no A/C," the parent said.
Kiefer resident Harley Christian shares those concerns.
"I think the heat has been extreme for the last two weeks, and I don't think that's right. I think it's wrong," Christian said.
Christian says the district should be more transparent about the problem.
"I don't know why they're not coming out saying this is the reason... but until they get it fixed, I think they should find an area with air conditioning where the kids can go," Christian said.
She also doubts the fans are providing meaningful relief.
"I used to work in factories, and they just had big industrial fans that just blew hot air, and they didn't do us any good," Christian said.
2 News Oklahoma tried multiple times to speak with the superintendent, even leaving a card for the district to email a statement. Staff said he was "on an errand," then "not available." At one point, they locked the administration building doors.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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