Buffalo Public Schools faces backlash after students complete exams in ‘dangerously hot’ classrooms

Click here for updates on this story

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Public Schools is facing backlash after administering the Regents exam in “dangerously hot” classrooms last week.

BPS senior Eniece Glenn told 7 News reporter Yoselin Person that she took the exam in a classroom without air conditioning.

“I fell asleep from time to time. It was too hot,” Glenn said. “When you’re trying to think and you feel heat, it exhausts you. It wears you out and it’s just harder to think.

Deonne Wedlington is a freshman at BPS who says it’s extremely hot inside the school without air conditioning.

“There should be central air conditioning in schools,” Wedlington said. “This avoids the risk of passing out or having an asthma attack without feeling too hot.”

Meanwhile, some New York state educators are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a classroom heating law. The law would require school districts to address heat conditions when classroom temperatures reach 82 degrees and vacate classrooms at 88 degrees altogether.

“And she has to sign it,” said Eve Shippens, co-president of the Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization. “City kids are suffering because of the heat and failing because of the heat and it’s just not right. We need to recognize that climate change is real and we are going to have increasingly hot Junes and students and staff should not be in these classrooms.

A Buffalo Public Schools spokesperson released the following statement to 7 News:

“High school students were not in school Monday due to mandatory New York State Regents exams and Wednesday due to the holiday. Since the regent exam schedule is mandated and set by New York State, high school students were required to sit for their regular regent exams, which lasted only a few hours on exam day. The district purchased 100 additional cases of bottled water this week to give to students and teachers participating in the Regents exams. The district is taking the following steps to help manage this excess heat during the final days of school: School engineers inspect all school ventilation systems to ensure proper air circulation; they tested all schools with air conditioning systems to ensure they were working properly; they monitor the ambient temperature; and they provide additional fans to schools. Additionally, the district has issued several announcements on various communications platforms, including daily automated calls to families, caregivers and students, to keep them informed and prepared for this week.

Note: This content is subject to a strict local embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you cannot use it on any platform.