Heat Wave Impacting Twin Cities Schools
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of the big concerns during these hot spring days is that kids are still in school.
As WCCO's Kate Raddatz explains, many buildings don't have full air conditioning to keep students and staff cool.
So many of have been cranking up our ACs for the last few days. Many schools don't have air conditioning, yet school goes on for most of them.
Like students at Hiawatha Elementary School. A teacher here said they don't have a policy when it comes to heat, but often follow Minneapolis Public Schools. They said it was 100 degrees in classrooms.
Minneapolis Public Schools does have an official policy in place for what it deems extreme heat conditions for classes: A heat index of at least 105 degrees for three hours or for more than two consecutive days.
A heat index of more than 115 degrees for any period of time, or a heat index of 91-103 degrees for three consecutive school days.
"We serve many schools and many families, and not all of our families have to take off work if we call off school," Karen Devet said.
Minneapolis and St. Paul schools were open Tuesday. One teacher at Capitol Hill Magnet school in St. Paul tweeted a photo of the temperature in his classroom. It was 95 degrees by 11 a.m.
"The start of school was pretty easy but then it started to get very difficult," Holy Angels sophomore Alec Radosevich said.
Students at Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield were let out early at 1 p.m. Two thirds of the school does not have air conditioning.
History Teacher Steve Werle said he's never experienced this kind of heat in his 16 years at the school.
"I don't normally wear shorts but they cut us some slack. It is really challenging, it's difficult. I'm on the third floor," Werle said.
At Step By Step Montessori Schools of Plymouth, they use a color-coded system to determine if it's safe for its young students to go outside for recess.
"I would guess they're inside all afternoon or maybe they will go for 10 or 15 minutes," Jessica Johnson said.
We did reach out to St Paul Public Schools. A spokesperson said closing was never discussed, but they did send out calls to parents on Monday explaining they take extra precaution. Schools were ventilated over the weekend and they are also purchasing more fans to drop off at schools.
There is some good news for students, staff and teachers looking for a break from the hot weather. School at most Twin Cities schools lets out for the summer within the next few weeks.
