School leaders turn to half days to try to beat the heat

This week is expected to be one of the hottest of the year so far, with temperatures expected to reach nearly 100 degrees across New York state. The heat leaves some school districts with limited options. So, in an effort to keep everyone safe, schools across the state are opting for half days this week.

A school official discussed efforts to combat extreme heat in schools.

“Because of the heat, we decided to do half days Tuesday, Thursday and Friday,” said Rob DiFlorio, chief operations officer for the Syracuse City School District.

Half days will be a theme in New York schools this week as temperatures increase.

“I can’t remember how many days in a row it’s been this hot in Central New York,” DiFlorio said. “It’s just an idea that the weather changes, and we have to adapt to those times.”

There are school buildings in New York that do not have air conditioning. According to recent data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, approximately 36,000 schools across the country need to replace or update their heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

School leaders in New York I believe that half days will protect students from the sun when it is hottest.

“We think this will be very beneficial to our students,” he said. “It’s very difficult for them to learn in an environment where temperatures exceed 90 degrees and we can’t cool all of our buildings.”

This issue is a topic that Sen. James Skoufis has been outspoken about, welcoming legislation that would establish a maximum temperature of 88 degrees in school buildings.

“This is where we say kids can’t be in this space,” Skoufis said. “Adults can no longer be in this space. Not only does it not promote learning, it starts to become dangerous.

A Harvard Kennedy School study tracked 10 million students who took the PSAT between 2001 and 2014. The study found that productivity in schools without air conditioning decreased by 1% for every temperature increase by one degree.

“We want our kids to be more successful,” DiFlorio said. “We want our teachers to teach at the highest level. We want safe conditions. Then we need this bill signed into law.

Skoufis acknowledged receiving pushback from several school administrations because of the cost of air conditioning.

“It’s probably more important that we get funded by installing air conditioning in our school buildings,” DiFlorio said. “That would be the biggest benefit for all of our students. This way we can have a school and the kids can be comfortable. They can come to school and learn every day.

The bill was adopted in in the Senate and the Assembly, but was not signed into law.