Classrooms in middle schools across the Pyrénées-Orientales department surged past 30°C between September 8 and September 11, 2026, triggering acute health warnings from educational unions and forcing local authorities to accelerate climate adaptation plans. According to temperature logs compiled by the Snes-FSU teachers’ union, indoor heat reached 35°C in Rivesaltes, hit 34.5°C at Sévigné middle school in Perpignan, and hovered around 32°C in facilities across Cabestany, Port-Vendres, and Saint-André.
Union Warnings and State Funding Retraction
According to Snes departmental co-secretary Ignacio Valenzuela, high heat combined with humidity levels exceeding 50% creates an oppressive environment that degrades working and learning conditions. Valenzuela noted that the Institut national de recherche et de sécurité (INRS) identifies health risks for office work whenever temperatures exceed 30°C. The union criticized the French central government after the Ministry of Education announced a €50 million fund in July 2026 for school building diagnostics and equipment, only to claw back €40 million of that allocation in September.
“The consequences of climate change are much stronger than public authorities expected,” Valenzuela stated, characterizing the funding reduction as unacceptable while emphasizing that the union does not exclusively demand air conditioning, but rather architectural adaptations like shading, vegetation, and schedule adjustments.
Departmental Council Response and Cooling Timeline
Marie-Pierre Sadourny, vice-president of the departmental council in charge of middle schools, outlined a multi-phased strategy to tackle the heat crisis. The council has already initiated courtyard greening projects and installed anti-UV filters and sunshades on windows. Furthermore, the department will inject an additional €60,000 into the 2026 budget starting in October to help schools purchase cooling equipment and air circulators.
Longer-term measures include installing air conditioning in school cafeterias, documentation centers (CDIs), and multipurpose rooms by next year to establish designated refuge areas that can also host brevet exams. In the most exposed classrooms, the council plans to pair ceiling fans with air circulation systems designed to reduce indoor temperatures by 3°C to 4°C. Between 2028 and 2030, all refuge spaces are scheduled for completion alongside central air treatment systems in ten pilot schools, representing a €4.6 million investment.
Costs for Total Climate Adaptation
Looking toward a complete climate retrofit, the departmental council has evaluated a total “tout clim” trajectory spanning several years. According to Sadourny, retrofitting all 31 public middle schools in the Pyrénées-Orientales—including insulation, canopy extensions, and vegetation—will cost between €35 million and €40 million. While the state currently contributes about €10,000 per establishment, local officials argue that significantly greater state financial backing is required to accelerate the project. Meanwhile, new middle school construction projects in Claira and Le Boulou will be built equipped with air mixing systems, central air treatment units, and air-conditioned refuge zones.
