Did New York State Schools Close Due To Heatwave?

You may have asked, "why isn't this school air conditioned" as you walked in the doors or heard from your kids this week. The late-summer heat has gripped New York State. But is it too hot for school?

There are some places in America that had to either cancel, delay or limit the amount of time kids were at school because of the heat. But New York does not have a law regarding the heat inside a school and most classes went on as scheduled.

Portions of Philadelphia had to change their school lesson plan this week due to the heat.

Back in the Empire State, the law regarding indoor air temperature really only applies to the lower end of the thermometer. Here in New York State, there seems to be no set limit on the high temperatures. However, there are some guidelines about how cold it can be.

While New York schools are required, by law, to maintain a minimum temperature of 65 degrees, there is no such limit on the other end of the thermometer scale.

There was a bill that was introduced in New York State that did aim to set a standard for the maximum heat inside of school. However, it didn't seem to get any strength.

Establishes a maximum temperature in school buildings and indoor facilities; provides a definition of extreme heat condition days and the standard to measure room temperature.

The issue of heat inside classrooms not only is about comfort, it is also about the ability to teach and learn. The NYSUT website has information that indicates hot classrooms hurt learning,

Further studies indicate that lower classroom temperatures and improved air ventilation improve learning ability and student performance by as much as 10 to 20 percent.

Overheated schools also waste energy and cost school districts money.

The good news is that this is New York State and the weather can change hour to hour. The cooler September air is coming and things will be more comfortable soon.