At least two Richmond schools see heating issues amid arctic blast

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- As the state of Virginia endures extremely low temperatures due to an arctic blast, at least two Richmond schools are experiencing issues with their heating systems. A spokesperson for Richmond Public Schools (RPS) told 8News in a statement on Thursday, Jan. 23 that the school district had received reports of "lower levels of heat due to needs for mechanical support and instances of low gas pressure" at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary and Richmond High School for the Arts. Facility staff was dispatched "immediately" to begin working on making it warmer in these buildings, according to the spokesperson. "We have invested a lot in our schools' infrastructure over the years," the spokesperson said. "However, due to the age of many of our buildings, there is a lot more investment that is needed. Every school has unique issues due to the age of some of our facilities and our hardworking facilities team continues to do the best that they can to support all of our students and staff as quickly as possible." IN DEC. 2024: ‘When kids are cold, they can’t learn,’ Broad Rock Elementary faces heating issues as cold weather hits Inside temperatures will be monitored overnight to ensure they remain at a normal level, according to the spokesperson. "Staying true to our number one priority being to keep students and staff safe and secure, we have many individuals throughout our district who encourage our students to dress according to the needs of the weather at all times of the year," the spokesperson said. 8News asked the spokesperson in our initial inquiry for a list of schools currently experiencing any issues with heating. The spokesperson did not provide such a list. No further information is available as of the time of reporting. This is a developing story, stay with 8News for updates.