Local & Community
Thermal Power Outage Disrupts Coachella Valley Schools
A power outage in Thermal disrupted multiple Coachella Valley Unified School District campuses Thursday as temperatures climbed into the triple digits.
According to the Imperial Irrigation District, the outage began around 10 a.m. and initially affected more than 200 customers. Among those impacted were John Kelley Elementary School, La Familia High School and the Coachella Valley Unified School District headquarters in Thermal.
Parents who contacted NBC Palm Springs said they were notified about the outage around 10:30 a.m. Students at the affected schools began being released around noon.
The outage also prompted concerns from the Coachella Valley Teachers Association, which called for the immediate evacuation and closure of multiple school sites it said were without power and air conditioning.
In an email, the CVTA said the district had not provided what it considers a functional emergency heat safety plan or adequate alternative cooling spaces.
NBC Palm Springs reached out to the school district for additional information but had not received a response at the time of reporting.
The district website has posted a heat safety alert reminding parents to make sure students have enough water while at school.
IID later reported that power had been restored to 177 customers, while 36 customers remained without power.
The outage came as temperatures across the Coachella Valley reached triple digits, raising additional concerns about conditions for students and staff at campuses without air conditioning.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
August 27, 2026
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