Parent concerns lead to discontinuation of tent classroom in Chula Vista

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Otay Ranch Academy of the Arts, a K-8 school with more than 400 students, temporarily resides in the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center due to a campus remodel running three months behind schedule.

“We wanted to have a space that was big enough so that families did not have to go to two or even three locations,” said Vivian Price, Springs Charter Schools' assistant superintendent of education.

It is a unique situation where students are learning alongside world-class athletes training for the Olympics.

However, one of the temporary classrooms is causing some concerns for parents.

“It is a banquet style tent. It’s a tent,” said Price.

One parent who reached out to FOX 5/KUSI and wanted to remain anonymous is questioning the legality of a tent classroom, mentioning there are fans but no air conditioning.

The San Diego County Office of Education, through which the school is chartered, told FOX 5/KUSI in a statement Wednesday, “The San Diego County Office of Education takes complaints regarding its authorized charter schools seriously and investigates any potential safety issue thoroughly. We are working with the charter organization leadership to remedy any concerns.”

“The fans didn’t work as well as we had hoped. They plugged everything in, turned them on, and it blew a circuit. So there was a very short, ten minutes I think, with no fans," Price said.

Price estimates the temperature inside the tent was in the mid-70s.

“It was not like unbearable heat,” she added.

Price also mentioned the classroom was only intended to be used from 8:30-10:30 a.m. before the hottest hours of the day, and with the flexible schedule students have the option of staying home and learning remotely.

“The eighth-grade classes would use it as part of a rotation, so no one would stay the whole day in there,” said Price. "Two hours would be the maximum time."

The school said the idea behind the tent classroom had nothing to do with cutting costs.

“It is big and open and surrounded by fields, so kids would be going in and out and working outside in small groups so we loved the wide open space," Price said.

FOX5 legal analyst, Wendy Patrick, says many schools are faced with similar challenges when trying to regulate classroom climates.

“What if a school is under renovation and school is being held outside or in a gym? Or somewhere else that’s designed to create a learning environment. Well that should be comfortable too…many schools have learned the hard way that they need a plan B,” Patrick said.

On the second day of school, Otay Ranch Academy of the Arts utilized the plan.

“We have determined that it’s not ideal so we aren’t going to use it at all,” said Price.

Price said they are now renting additional indoor space at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center with air conditioning and the tent is no longer being used as a classroom.