Local

School board member: White kids need air-conditioning but Latinos are used to the heat

The school district only has the money to install air-conditioning in one of two elementary’s. One of them, John Swett Elementary, is predominantly white. The other, Las Juntas, has a high rate of Hispanic enrollment.

As the discussion wore on board member Denise Elsken said, "I would say 95% of the students at Las Juntas do not have air-conditioning in their homes."

Elsken continued, “those students are more acclimated and can handle a little bit more heat than the John Swett students, which I would say 95% of their residents have air-conditioning in their homes.”

Elsken later added planting big trees at the school would shade the building and cut down on heat.

Parents with children at Las Juntas are not pleased. "I believe somebody who thinks that way has no business being on our school board," Carrie Rochin told ABC7.

Las Juntas has a large number of students who qualify for subsidized lunches. Guy Cooper told the Martinez News-Gazette, “since they are apparently accustomed to having less food at home as well, following Ms. Elsken’s logic, we might as well save some more money by not feeding them.”

Elsken didn't back down when she told CBS San Francisco, "it wasn't discriminatory; it was fairly factual."

Elsken volunteers at Las Juntas and has children who go there.

More here.

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