Overview
- Hurts announced Tuesday that the Jalen Hurts Foundation is donating $600,000 to retrofit Northeast High School’s auditorium with permanent air-conditioning, the foundation’s largest gift to date.
- The donation follows a 2024 Hurts Foundation gift of $200,000 that bought portable units for area schools and builds on his stated goal of getting the district’s uncooled schools to zero.
- School District of Philadelphia officials say about 52 district buildings still lack full air-conditioning, and those schools face early dismissals or remote-learning days when temperatures are forecast to reach 85 degrees.
- District leaders warn that upgrading the remaining schools is complex because many older buildings lack the electrical systems needed for whole-school cooling and a recent Kensington HVAC project uncovered asbestos that forced relocations.
- The sweltering auditorium event went viral and drew city leaders to the stage, increasing public scrutiny and raising the prospect that high-profile donations and political pressure could speed up stalled cooling work.