High temperatures close schools in several U.S. cities
High heat forced schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Pittsburgh to close Thursday, forcing students and teachers to stay home despite rising temperatures and inadequate air conditioning. In Detroit, the conditions led administrators to close that city’s schools three hours earlier than usual on Thursday, and similar plans were in place for Friday for the city’s 53,000 students.
In Pittsburgh, 40 schools in a district with more than 18,000 students switched to remote learning, citing health concerns over sweltering classrooms. announced. In western Michigan’s Grand Rapids, home to 17,000 students, administrators canceled school for the rest of the week as temperatures soared to 90 degrees on Thursday.
Temperatures in some school buildings were “simply too hot,” Superintendent of Schools Leadriane Roby said in a statement. “That not only makes the learning environment a challenge, but also involves safety considerations.”
Poorly cooled or heated school buildings in the United States are far from a new concern, but it is an increasing concern as more school districts grapple with aging infrastructure and the effects of climate change. Older buildings often do not have central air conditioning, and even if window air conditioners are present, they may not be effective in classrooms filled with dozens of children.
a report in 2020, the U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded that about 41 percent of school districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in at least half of their schools.
Many Midwestern school districts don’t finish the school year until mid-June, making heat a problem in the final weeks of classes.
A high-pressure system over the Great Lakes traps hot air rising from the ground, resulting in temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average. Highs in the upper 80s to low 90s from the Great Lakes to New England are expected on Thursday and Friday, and some areas in the region could come close to matching or even breaking daily records.
There will be some relief this weekend, starting on Saturday in New England and bringing lower temperatures to the Great Lakes by the end of the weekend.
While there were no immediate reports of students becoming ill from the heat, administrators said they made the decisions preemptively to avoid health problems. After-school activities and sports were also canceled in several city districts.
In Pittsburgh, free meals were made available to families in need on Thursday and Friday mornings at more than a dozen locations.
Alan N. Johnson, the superintendent of East Allegheny County schools in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he kept a close eye on the heat in his school buildings, but had so far managed to keep them open. to hold.
Outside the temperature was 86 degrees. Inside, he said, the second floor of the building that houses middle and high school students had reached 83 degrees as the school day was almost over.
Teachers handed out bottled water to students and urged them to stay hydrated, Mr Johnson said, while fans were made available for use in the hottest classrooms. To help students stay comfortable, he said, the dress code was enforced more loosely.
As administrators weighed whether to send students home for the day, they worried that many students, especially those from low-income families, might not have air conditioning available at home either. Switching to remote learning was an option, but it also raised concerns that it could be a burden on working parents.
The school year was due to end in the district on Friday, and Mr. Johnson said he was focusing on protecting students.
“We are no longer pushing for education levels,” Mr Johnson said. “We just have to be here. If we don’t show up, we have to make up for the day and just try to get through the day.”
Judson Jones reporting contributed.