The Case for Air Conditioning

This recent article from the Washington Post is a great summary of the issues and the research:

Answer Sheet: When is it too hot to go to school?

As a local example, on June 17 and 18 in 2018, the temperature hit 90F --  our high and middle school students were taking Regents and other final exams. Our fifth graders were having graduation ceremonies, our auditoriums full of family members and a couple of fans. Eight days that month crossed the 85F mark before school ended for the year. Our aging buildings unfortunately trap and hold that heat.

Temperature has been tied to productivity generally and academic achievement specifically.

It is true that we do not need air conditioning for most of the school year but it's also true that we don't want to lose multiple days of learning or face the possibility of closing school before or during AP, IB or Regents exams. Likewise, we do have students who need summer school and other services in our buildings during the hottest months.

Here's a picture from just this past June from inside one of our elementary school classrooms:


Yes - it says 101.8F.

Here's the weather almanac for Sea Cliff as another way to think about temperatures:

Source: https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/11579:4:US