Heat Wave Closes Dozens Of Mpls. Schools For Rest Of The Week

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Classes are canceled for the rest of the week at 27 schools in Minneapolis.

High humidity and sweltering temps, combined with some buildings lacking air conditioning has canceled class on Thursday and Friday at more than two dozen schools, which will then resume class on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Students will not need to make up the canceled days.

All other sites will remain open as usual.

The closed sites include:
Anthony, Anwatin, Armatage, Bancroft, Broadway at Longfellow, Bryn Mawr, Dowling, Edison, Field, Hall, Henry, Heritage Academy, Hiawatha, Jefferson, Kenny, Kenwood, Lake Harriet Upper, Lake Harriet Lower, Loring, Northrop, Pratt, Roosevelt, Sanford, Sheridan, Southwest, Tatanka Academy, Wellstone. Included in the closings is private school Yinghua Academy.

as a result, grandmother Aisha Nadra is going to have a Jefferson Elementary first grade student in two for the next days as a result of the closed schools.

"His dad, my son, he's a shift worker, too, and new at his job," she said. "I feel really bad for the parents who don't know what they're going to do."

District spokesman Stan Alleyne said the district was aware of the last-minute inconvenience.

"We know that it's a challenge for those families, but right now with our situation, we feel like it's the best thing to do," he said. "The safest thing to do is stop school for two days ... we feel like we need our teachers and students to have a couple days' break."

And that means a little more work for the parents of students.

"I really don't recall school being out because of the heat," Nadra said.

Officials at the district don't remember school ever being canceled for heat, either. Classes weren't canceled at air-conditioned schools because the district wanted to disrupt as little instruction as possible.

Minneapolis Kids child care programs at Armatage, Bancroft, Bryn Mawr, Dowling, Field, Jefferson, Kenny, Lake Harriet Upper and Lower, Northrop and Pratt will also be closed.

Athletic events at the schools with canceled classes may or may not continue at the discretion of the school athletic director. Parents should contact their school athletic director with any questions.

Sites that will remain open include:
Adult Education (North and South campuses), Andersen, Barton, Bethune, Burroughs, Emerson, Folwell, Green Central, Hale, Harrison, Hmong International Academy, Howe, Jenny Lind, Pierre Bottineau, Keewaydin, Lucy Laney, Lyndale, Marcy, Mona Moede/North Star, Nellie Stone Johnson, Northeast, North, Olson, Pillsbury, Ramsey, River Bend, Seward, South, Sullivan, Waite Park, Washburn, Wenonah, Whittier, Wilder, Windom.