{"id":2774,"date":"2026-08-03T03:32:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T03:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/?p=2774"},"modified":"2026-08-03T03:32:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T03:32:02","slug":"is-it-getting-too-hot-for-summer-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/?p=2774","title":{"rendered":"Is it getting too hot for summer school?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two days before the sweltering July Fourth weekend, Martina Meijer, a New York City elementary teacher who occasionally substitutes over the summer, covered a class. The city’s summer school program had just begun and that day temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. <\/p>\n

“Even though the AC was on, it wasn’t working very well,” said Meijer. “There was no programming, no schedule, no plans shared.”  <\/p>\n

For four hours straight, Meijer and her students remained in the classroom. The stifling heat drained their energy, leaving them lethargic and making it difficult to focus. When she called the main office to ask if she could take them to the gym or outside for recess, school officials told her the weather was too hazardous, she said. They instructed her to stay in the classroom and give her class of 15 students indoor movement activities \u2014 commonly known as “brain breaks” \u2014 by following YouTube tutorials.<\/p>\n

While many school districts prioritize placing students and staff in schools with air conditioning during summer programming, the blistering temperatures around the country sometimes mean it\u2019s not enough. Problems like malfunctioning air conditioners still persist, and cooling systems have their limits during periods of intense heat like this July\u2019s heat dome. <\/p>\n

Climate change is increasingly testing the limits of how summer programs \u2014 when students take part in enrichment activities or remediation \u2014 can ensure academic needs are met while keeping students safe from the blazing heat.<\/p>\n

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New York City teacher Martina Meijer at City-As-School in the West Village of Manhattan on July 15.
Yunuen Bonaparte for The Hechinger Report<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Federal regulations that would protect workers like teachers from heat illnesses by mandating water breaks, rest periods, and areas to cool off have stalled<\/a> for the foreseeable future. <\/p>\n

In recent weeks, schools in major cities and rural communities alike have had to end classes early, close, or completely restructure daily activities.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n

Kristen Hengtgen, a program director with UndauntedK12, a national organization committed to reducing carbon emissions in K-12 schools, said that many educators rely on temporary or improvised solutions whenever possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmaller things that we are seeing now, like moving indoors, moving to air\u2011conditioned spaces, having hydration breaks and cooling periods when temperatures are unsafe, flexible scheduling, doing stuff earlier in the day \u2014 I think that will continue to happen,\u201d said Hengtgen.<\/p>\n

When classrooms become overheated or outdoor recess gets canceled, students struggle to focus and learn. Excessive heat impairs cognitive performance, putting students who need extra academic support during the summer at an even greater disadvantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the kids in summer school may already be having academic challenges,” said Elizabeth Bechard, public health manager at Moms Clean Air Force, an environmental advocacy group dedicated to protecting children from the effects of climate change. “Asking them to catch up with their learning in very suboptimal learning conditions, when it\u2019s too hot to learn, is not going to help so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Students, staff, and volunteers walk back to P.S. 94, The Henry Longfellow School, from a trip to the pool before the summer school day ends in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn on July 16.
Yunuen Bonaparte for The Hechinger Report<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Children are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses compared to adults. This is because their thermal regulation systems are still developing. They tend to sweat less and breathe faster, Bechard said. And for those without air-conditioning at home, the risks are higher for both their physical well-being and their ability to learn effectively.<\/p>\n

“If students are going to schools that don\u2019t have air-conditioning, and then coming home to homes that also don\u2019t have air-conditioning, there\u2019s no chance for the body to really rest and recover,” said Bechard.<\/p>\n

On the last day of school in early June, the Philadelphia School District dismissed students early at 52 insufficiently air-conditioned schools due to extreme heat.<\/p>\n

“When the mercury climbs above 85-90 degrees, we either send students home early or move those schools to virtual days,” said Tony Watlington Sr., the superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Teachers are also trained to ensure children aren’t exposed to conditions that could lead to dehydration or heatstroke, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teachers do a really good job of using professional judgment and not having kids out in 90\u2011degree heat with that sun barreling down on what we sometimes refer to as concrete deserts,” Watlington said. <\/p>\n

Without professional training or clear guidelines, however, some families worry about leaving critical heat safety decisions up to teachers.<\/p>\n

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\"An
A sprinkler on the playground at James J. Walker Park in Manhattan sits empty on a 98-degree afternoon. Yunuen Bonaparte for The Hechinger Report<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

In late June, parents in Virginia\u2019s Alexandria City Public Schools received an advisory letter outlining precautions for staff during an anticipated heat wave, when experts warned the heat index could reach 112 degrees. School officials urged staff to restrict outdoor activities and remain vigilant for signs of heat exhaustion. <\/p>\n

“I feel like it’s a mix of mostly saying the right things, but it’s also dependent on the discretion of various adults,” said one parent, who requested anonymity to maintain her privacy. “We have no idea what level of training they have \u2014 like, ‘Be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke’ is great, but how do we know people are?”<\/p>\n

Higher temperatures are also sparking and intensifying the frequency of wildfires. <\/p>\n

In mid July, Canadian wildfires clogged the skies<\/a> with a thick haze of smoke, forcing programs like Summer Rising in New York City to move all outdoor activities for thousands of students inside. <\/p>\n

While periodic indoor movement breaks keep students engaged throughout the day, they fall short of helping them release energy or recharge in the way outdoor play provides. <\/p>\n

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\n Read Next<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n As heat becomes a national threat, who will be protected?<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Nate Rosenfield<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Research shows<\/a> that recess improves academic outcomes, social development, and emotional regulation. If students can’t expend their energy outdoors, it can hinder their development.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this horrible chicken-or-egg situation that teachers have, which is: Kids really need to get out and run around, especially younger kids,” said V. Kelly Turner, a heat researcher and professor at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “If they don\u2019t get their energy out outside, they can\u2019t focus on their schoolwork inside. But if they\u2019re outside roasting, then they can\u2019t focus inside, either.” <\/p>\n

Nathan Cruz, a parent whose 6-year-old daughter attends Sharp Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, feels the weight of this predicament. <\/p>\n

“Sometimes [the kids] forget to drink water, could get dehydrated, and there’s been conditions, like nosebleeds,” said Cruz. <\/p>\n

On especially grueling days during the school year, when temperatures climb to triple digits, Cruz said children in the after-school program remain inside the school’s auditorium.<\/p>\n

“It’s a lot of kids and it gets tight,” said Cruz. “It can be a challenge because you can’t keep them indoors every day, even though the weather could be over 95 degrees for over two to three weeks at a time.” <\/p>\n

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\n Read Next<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n What makes middle school even worse? Climate anxiety.<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Kate Yoder<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Schools in the Northeast, like Philadelphia, face similar challenges and were not built to handle unusual and prolonged stretches of extreme heat. <\/p>\n

A 2021 study<\/a> by the Center for Climate Integrity, an environmental group that helps communities hold fossil fuel companies accountable, found that over 13,000 public schools nationwide \u2014 many built in a different climate era \u2014 would require $40 billion to install HVAC systems. <\/em>In the Northeast, states that didn’t require air-conditioning in the past \u2014 like Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont \u2014 need it today. <\/p>\n

On average, public schools in the United States are nearing 50 years old,<\/a> which means they require major structural upgrades to install proper HVAC systems and improve airflow. Philadelphia’s school buildings are even older \u2014 73 years old, on average.<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it\u2019s an old city and we have a lot of old buildings, we can\u2019t go and just drop air conditioners in all of the windows,” Watlington said. “People ask all the time, \u2018Why don\u2019t you just put some $100 air\u2011conditioning units from Home Depot or Lowe\u2019s and call it a day?\u2019 It\u2019s not that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the July Fourth week that summer school classes proceeded in New York City, schools in Washington, D.C.<\/a>, canceled all outdoor programs, citing the high temperatures. <\/p>\n

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\n Read Next<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n No federal heat standard? NYC workers are building their own safety net.<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Frida Garza<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

One district suspended<\/a> bus routes because its buses lacked air-conditioning. Smaller districts, like Joliet Public Schools in Illinois, switched to remote instruction<\/a>, while the Central Falls School District in Rhode Island shut down<\/a> all summer programs. <\/p>\n

In the Midwest, the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin also canceled summer school for elementary students when meteorologists projected temperatures<\/a> to feel as hot as 108 degrees.<\/p>\n

Scott Chehak, senior executive director of building services at the Madison Metropolitan School District, said the district tracks weather forecasts to assess heat risks. <\/em><\/p>\n

“If it does hit an extreme weather warning or extreme heat warning, we tend to close schools if we see it coming,” said Chehak. “Sometimes we’ll have calls on the weekends with our executive staff just to make sure that we’re looking ahead.”<\/p>\n

They also designate larger air-conditioned spaces, such as gyms and libraries, as “cooling centers” where students rotate throughout the day. There, children have access to fans, extra hydration centers, and specialized cooling towels.<\/p>\n

Chehak said they train their staff to look for signs that a child might be overheating, especially for students who might be underprepared for hotter weather. <\/p>\n

“Are they starting to lose attention? Does it feel like they’re warming up? You can tell by human behavior,” said Chehak.<\/p>\n

For 14 years, Denisha Jordan, a veteran physical education teacher, worked in one of the hottest regions in Los Angeles at a high school in the San Fernando Valley, where she constantly monitored signs of heat exhaustion. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to the high heat, you see more heat illnesses,” said Jordan. “Their skin will be cherry red. [There’s] profuse sweating, even when the kids aren\u2019t doing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her entire time there, the gym and locker rooms never had air-conditioning, Jordan said. Outside, beneath the relentless sun, she recalls a student showing her the melted soles of his shoes after playing basketball on the playground’s scorching asphalt. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s 80 degrees outside, our blacktop can easily reach 90 degrees and above,” said Jordan. “I would go and put my hands down and see how long I could keep my hands on there, and if I couldn\u2019t keep my hands on there, then I would know that we\u2019d have to be on the grass that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

As summers intensify and heat waves creep into the fall months, Hengtgen from UndauntedK12 believes schools will need to create long-term action plans, rather than ad hoc, one-off emergency responses, even during summer school when temperatures are at their highest. <\/p>\n

“Sometimes things like an extreme heat plan may seem fluffy or extra when we have a literacy crisis,” said Hengtgen. “But we are threatening the mission of public education if we can\u2019t provide buildings that are safe and comfortable and healthy spaces for kids to learn and for teachers to teach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sign up for <\/em>Hechinger\u2019s climate change newsletter<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Correction: This story was updated to correct Kristen Hengtgen\u2019s job title.<\/em><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Grist<\/a> with the headline Is it getting too hot for summer school?<\/a> on Jul 29, 2026.<\/p>\n

Source: Read the original article on grist.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two days before the sweltering July Fourth weekend, Martina Meijer, a New York City elementary teacher who occasionally substitutes over the summer, covered a class. The city’s summer school program had just begun and that day temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  “Even though the AC was on, it wasn’t working very well,” said Meijer. “There […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,3],"tags":[25,29,33],"class_list":["post-2774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-share-suggestions","category-technology","tag-impact-msft","tag-signal-avoid","tag-stage-stage-4"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2774\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/futureknowledge.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}