This coming summer is expected to be the hottest on record. Although this is great for spending time by the pool, if you’re spending any of June or September inside of a classroom, you could be suffering. Indoor classrooms can reach up to 100°F in parts of New York, which is detrimental to both our students and teachers alike. While we’ve long had a minimum school temperature in state law to prevent freezing classrooms, no such maximum limit exists which is why I authored legislation, S.3397, which would establish a classroom temperature cap of 88 degrees.
In 2023, a working paper released by Harvard University found that heat has significant, possibly lasting, effects on our children. Slower cognitive function, reduced concentration abilities, and poor behavioral health are only some of the issues that can be exacerbated by extreme heat, on top of the ‘typical’ responses – dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. As their biological systems aren’t fully developed, kids have less capacity to release heat via sweating, and kids in classrooms can’t seek out cooler environments.
2023 was the hottest year in modern history by a large margin; 2024 is expected to be even warmer. A number of school districts statewide have even reported already canceling sports and after-school programs due to heat. We have a responsibility to protect our children in and outside the classroom and that extends to maintaining a safe environment that’s most conducive to learning.
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