School District Early Heat Release Vent

[becka]

We started school here on August 21st which is just way too early to start when you have schools that are not airconditioned here in Missouri. You always end up with lots of early release heat days at the beginning of the year. It is usually at least early to mid September before they get a week without an early heat release.

The first day (Tuesday) was really hot (heat index 100 or above) and I was shocked that they didn't call an early release that day. Wednesday it was about the same temp or maybe 1-2 degrees cooler and they did call the early release. Wednesday night with the predicted temps being slightly cooler but still hot for Thursday and Friday they went ahead and called the early release for both Thursday and Friday. I was a little suprised they decided on Wednesday that Friday would be too hot but whatever. Thursday was really hot but then we got a cold front they didn't expect or something and by Thursday afternoon they were calling for a high in the low 80's for Friday but since they had already called the early release they let them out anyway. Why would they call off school 2 days in advance when the weather can and often does change from the forecast 2 days in advance especially here in Missouri?

This Monday was in the low 90s but not unbearable and they went to school all day. Today's forecasted high was around 97 with high heat indexes. I kept waiting for the news last night that they would have a heat release but they didn't. The kids had a full day today in a very hot school. Tomorrow they are calling for a high of around 92 with a chance for rain in the afternoon. It should be much cooler than today but guess what - they just called a heat release for tomorrow a little while ago.

What the heck is the school district doing? I don't want kids to suffer in the hot buildings and I do support the early releases when it is that hot but why can they not be consistent? Why have school all day with a temp of 97 but call for a half day on a day with a high temp of 92?

 

[minniecarousel]

WOW - I had never heard of early "heat release" for schools. Why don't they upgrade the HVAC systems with A/C? Would it be that expensive? We live in an area that can have very hot weather in August & September and all buildings have A/C.

 

[JulyGirl]

That is an awful lot of "early releasing". I would think it difficult for working parents to arrange for pick up during the day like that.

 

[Becky2005]

That is an awful lot of "early releasing". I would think it difficult for working parents to arrange for pick up during the day like that.

Our school basically has a policy of if they haven't called school off, then the kids are going ALL the schedule day's time -- due to it's too difficult to make sure all the kids get home, etc...

I can't remember our school ever calling off a night beforehand. It's *always* in the morning of.

Sorry it's so chaotic for the OP. Definitely sounds like it would make more sense to start school later in the year rather than all these early releases. Although, I wonder if they just have them in long enough to be counted as a school day (I know it's X hours -- possibly even 1 for 1/2 day here because on the last day of school they go for 1 hour -- why -- I have no idea but I'm assuming that's the minimum they need to count for federal funds as a school day).

 

[lovemygoofy]

WOW - I had never heard of early "heat release" for schools. Why don't they upgrade the HVAC systems with A/C? Would it be that expensive? We live in an area that can have very hot weather in August & September and all buildings have A/C.

I don't know about Becka but around here the schools have been let out early almost every day for the last week or almost 2. It's been anywhere from 100-107 temp with heat index of even more.

I understand that the reason is because of the kids that ride the school bus. Some may be on the bus for over an hour and of course no a/c. Supposedly it's not as hot at noon or 1pm as it is at 3 or 4pm

 

[tinkerbell615]

We had early release last Thursday and Friday for heat also. They did not have early release yesterday or today and today was absolutley miserable. It was 97 degrees at 5:30 and tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. They haven't scheduled an early release for tomorrow either. I don't understand the determination of early release days for heat. I kind of wish that school would start after labor day.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I have never heard of "heat release" and it gets plenty hot in Alabama and Florida...

 

[wdw4us2]

I feel badly for you not having the air conditioned schools. I remember what it was like here when I went to school and we didn't have air conditioning as they do now.

My kids come home and complain it's too COLD in their classes. You just can't win!

 

[mrsmom]

My kids were released 2 hours early last Thursday and Friday and it's suppose to hot tomorrow, some schools are already announcing early release. I am waiting to hear if our school will be on that list.
Kim

 

[cruisnfamily]

I have never heard of "heat release" and it gets plenty hot in Alabama and Florida...

I've never heard of it either...but here in FL we have air conditioning in the schools.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I've never heard of it either...but here in FL we have air conditioning in the schools.

Why is there no air conditioning in the schools?????

 

[Stepht5]

Why is there no air conditioning in the schools?????

For one... I know it hasn't been that many years since MO started having school before Labor Day -- I have several relatives that were teachers in MO and both sides of my family are from MO....most still live there.

In MO it isn't tipically that hot after the beginning of Sept. It is really (to me anyway and I'm talking about an area near St Louis) not hot except for July & August. And the good thing (In my opinion) it always cools down once the sun goes down!
When we've been there in June we need a light jacket/sweater the first part of the day. I usually go up there at the end of August and we always need a sweater once the sun goes down.

 

[Laz]

Here in the Fort Wayne area we have schools with no a/c. I teach in a small Catholic High School with no A/C and we have had early dismissals quite a bit since school started. Our old school has very little circulation. We are finally getting A/C installed this year, but it took years to raise the money for it. The public schools have the same money issue, yet me must start in August to prepare the students for the mandated state testing in September (no child left behind).

 

[Daxx]

Our school basically has a policy of if they haven't called school off, then the kids are going ALL the schedule day's time -- due to it's too difficult to make sure all the kids get home, etc...

Same w/our school. We don't have heat issues ... we deal w/the snow instead. Even if it's snowing and zero visibility and blizzard conditions, we go the whole day. The only way we release early is if parents come to pick up their kids early. We tell parents that if the weather is super bad and they're concerned, they can come to school to get the students but we will not close early.

And the school will wait until the morning to close schools (for the most part). It's not often that we know the night before. Even when we had the freak storm last Oct., it was a day-by-day process to see if we were closed.

 

[tinkerbell615]

76% of the schools in our district are not air conditioned. The buildings are pretty old and there is not much circulation. We are a public school system and we can't get a levy to pass for anything, so I am guessing we certainly will not have a/c in our buildings none too soon.

There are certain rooms that have a/c... science labs and band room. Only the rooms that require it for certain equipment.

 

[arminnie]

I know about snow days, but I'd never heard of "heat" days.

Of course I'm so old that a/c was barely invented back when I was in school.

I went to school in New Orleans with no a/c. We just did it. Of course you could open windows back then too.

 

[hdecker]

I am in SW Missouri - school started back on Aug 16th here. All of our school buildings have AC now but in the past when they didn't - if one classroom didn't have air, everyone in the system went home early. I don't know how the kids handle the bus ride though - some of the rural area kids could be on the bus for over an hour each day. Oh, and we've lived here for 20+ years and school has always started the 3rd thursday in August.

 

[Feralpeg]

I grew up in Kansas City. We never got early release for heat. None of the schools I attended had air conditioning. DD's school never let out early either. It must vary by school district.

 

[GBShorts]

We have A/C in four buildings in our district...and we have a huge district. Those with A/C have it because they have no windows and one because it's a year-round school.

Those of you asking why don't we have a/c... who's going to pay for it???? Taxpayers certainly aren't, and there's not enough money to go around as it is.

I live in Wisconsin. Some of you are thinking "oh it never gets hot there, why would they need a/c anyway??" Well, our temperature swings from 100 in summer down to -20 or colder in the winter (we hit -30 last winter...and almost 100 just a couple weeks ago). Right now the forecast for our first week of school (starting Sept. 4) is in the high 80's. We don't get heat release days


To the OP-it seems they're doing those early release days in an effort to keep school going as much as possible. If they attend at least half the day then it counts as a full day toward the 180 day rule. As to why they're choosing different temps each day, it could be that their thermometer reads differently, or maybe they're working off the heat index? It makes no sense to me either, but perhaps there's something funky going on with their instrumentation. :/ I know how frustrating it can be not to know if you're going to have school or not...though in my case it's usually for snow or cold. We had 2 days cancelled last year for temperature being too cold!