Southwest High School's show choir is feeling the heat – and parents say the district is leaving students out in the cold

The Southwest Effect is turning up the heat at Southwest High School in Fort Worth. But for members of the school's nationally ranked show choir, the sweat isn't just coming from their dance moves.

It's coming from a broken air conditioning system.

Students have been rehearsing inside the school's auditorium without working A/C since before summer break, according to parents. Now, with an early November performance approaching, frustration is reaching a boiling point.

"It's been super hot, to the point where I'm sweating," said student Rayana Ferrell. "I don't even want to perform anymore. I'm just tired in general."

The choir's demanding rehearsals can stretch three hours a day, four days a week.

Dr. Elvia Espino, whose son performs with the group, said students have been forced to endure the heat while preparing for performances.

"Our children have been tasked with performing and doing grueling rehearsals upwards of four days a week for three-hour-long rehearsals without appropriate air conditioning," Espino said. "This is an epic leadership failure."

Espino said the problem existed before school dismissed for the summer, when families and community members attended performances inside the auditorium.

Students say fans have offered occasional relief, but not enough.

"Me personally, I bring my own little fan to go around my neck," Ferrell said.

CBS News Texas pressed Fort Worth ISD for answers.

The district said in a statement: 

"We understand the concerns regarding the air conditioning outage and want to provide an update on the repair timeline.

"The necessary replacement parts are currently scheduled to be shipped from the manufacturer on October 26. The parts were initially expected to arrive on October 23; however, the shipment was delayed by the manufacturer. We have confirmed that the correct parts were ordered. The delay is the result of the parts no longer being maintained as regular stock inventory. Although the equipment remains under warranty, the required components were either out of stock, no longer readily available, or needed to be manufactured before shipment, resulting in a longer-than-usual lead time.

"To help mitigate temperatures while repairs are pending, the district is planning to provide portable cooling units for practices and scheduled events next week. This effort will involve coordination among campus custodial staff, on-site personnel, and HVAC technicians to ensure the units are functioning properly and are set up and removed as needed around scheduled activities.

"We appreciate the community's patience as we work to resolve this issue as quickly as possible."

For Espino, the response raises another question: Why weren't parents told sooner?

"It took getting a reporter. It took notifying a TV station to get this type of response," she said.

Espino said she regularly receives school communications through ParentSquare but was never notified of the malfunction or of the steps being taken to protect students from the heat.

"This is a very reactive response, and I find that disheartening," she said.

There is still no confirmed date for the restoration of the auditorium's air conditioning.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Effect isn't letting the heat steal its spotlight.

"I believe in my teammates," Ferrell said. "If they can believe in me, then I believe in them."

She believes their next show could be their best yet.

"Better than Hamilton," she said.

The students are determined to bring down the house. Their parents just want the district to bring the temperature down.