NYS schools weigh how to deal with maximum classroom temperature bill

ALBANY — Plainview second-grader Conor Lattimer was prepared for the heat wave during the last weeks of school, equipped with a neck fan and water bottle filled with ice to brave his unairconditioned classroom.

The 8-year-old, who attends Kramer Lane Elementary School, said he feels “miserable” when temperatures go above 90 degrees. “I’m always getting exhausted. It’s very hard to learn. I feel like I'm going to fall asleep,” he told Newsday.

Facing the potential of a new state law that would set a maximum classroom temperature for public schools, districts statewide and across Long Island will have to choose whether to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to add air conditioning to their aging buildings. 

Districts that don’t could be forced to send students home and turn to remote learning as heat waves become increasingly common in September and June because of climate change. By law, schools are required to have 180 days of instruction or risk losing state aid.

The measure would take effect in 2025, if signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul. Hochul’s office has said she will review the legislation.

Health experts say increased heat cannot only adversely affect the health of students, but also their mental health and ability to learn.

Less than 10% of public school buildings in New York State are fully air-conditioned, largely because on average most buildings are more than 60 years old, according to the New York State School Facilities Association Energy Committee. Installing air conditioning can cost tens of thousands to millions of dollars depending on the scale.

There is no district-by-district state data on how many schools are fully air-conditioned and no designated state funding source for installing air conditioning.

On Long Island, districts have dealt with the heat in various ways, declaring half days when the temperature is up, moving students and staff to cooler spaces, and encouraging them to wear cooler clothes. There were five days in June when the temperature reached 85 degrees or higher on Long Island, according to the National Weather Service.

Some districts used federal COVID-19 funds to put individual air conditioning units in instructional spaces to increase airflow. Others have put window units in classrooms where they are medically required for students or staff, as well as in year-round spaces such as administrative offices and libraries. And other districts have asked voters to approve a bond-borrowing proposition to fund upgrades to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, known as HVAC.

While it's a good idea to have air conditioning in instructional spaces, "there's only so much funding,” Malverne Union Free School District Superintendent Lorna Lewis told Newsday. It's a question of whether to spend money that could be used on instruction on air conditioning for two months, she said, adding, "It’s always a balancing act."

Some superintendents say the state should provide funding for the upgrades. 

If the state is going to impose a new mandate that could require a significant financial investment by school districts, “Some sort of assistance by the state to make installation of cooling systems more accessible and affordable without overburdening local taxpayers should be established,” Patchogue-Medford schools Superintendent Donna Jones said in an emailed statement.

Health, safety

When Conor’s mom, Kathryn Lattimer, picked him up on the first day of school in September, he was flushed, lethargic and said he had a headache and was sick to his stomach after being in an unairconditioned classroom, she said. Sometimes his class is moved to a cooler spot in the building, but Lattimer said she decided to keep him home until the heat wave was over.

His district, Bethpage, is addressing electrical upgrades at its elementary schools and hopes to have air conditioning in all main classrooms by September. All main classrooms in the middle and high schools have air conditioning, the district said.

Younger children are much more susceptible to extreme heat because they have smaller bodies and less developed sweating mechanisms, said Adrienne Wald, an associate professor of nursing at Mercy University in Westchester County. Elementary school students may have difficulty communicating if they are feeling nauseous or dizzy — the early signs of heat exhaustion, she said.

Setting a maximum temperature would help with student health and learning, but also benefits teachers and staff who may be heat sensitive or have underlying conditions, said Daniel Jackson Smith, assistant professor of nursing at the University at Buffalo.

The State Legislature in June approved a bill that would require public schools to take action such as turning on fans and pulling down blinds if room temperatures reach 82 degrees.

If temperatures hit 88 degrees, students and staff would not be allowed to occupy the space and in extreme cases would be sent home, according to the bill.

'Very disruptive'

Several school districts and advocacy groups have expressed concerns about the bill.

“While the intent of this legislation is positive, the fine details of how it is implemented, or what the actual trigger points are for the required actions of a district, need to be clarified,” Farmingdale schools Superintendent Paul Defendini said in a statement.

The bill could spark a sharp increase in remote learning days during prolonged heat waves, he said, adding that remote learning is a “poor substitute for actual in-person learning” and could have damaging effects on students.

After 28 years of teaching, Farmingdale art teacher Erica Weisfelner last fall got an air conditioner in her classroom. Before that, she had to plan her lessons around the temperature in the room, avoiding materials that get too “mushy” and not running the kiln when it gets hot.

Students are often relocated to other, cooler classrooms when temperatures rise, but it’s “very disruptive,” she said.

While a large percentage of Farmingdale’s classrooms have window air conditioning units, the district is looking to upgrade its electrical capacity to install window units in all remaining classrooms, Defendini said.

Kevin Toolan, a sixth-grade teacher and president of the Patchogue-Medford teachers’ union, said some classrooms use portable air conditioning units, but they are very loud, so it’s hard to hear the students. And doors and windows can’t always be open for security concerns, he said.

Toolan described educators with clothes soaked through with sweat going home with migraines. “It’s really becoming a matter of staying safe rather than worrying about what you’re teaching, which is not what we’re there for,” he said.

'The sheer cost'

The issue of air quality was brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A growing number of schools are adding air conditioning, said John Lahey, a senior project engineer at H2M architects + engineers, which helps schools, including 34 districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties, with HVAC installation and heat mitigation.

It can be challenging with older buildings that need structural work and electrical system upgrades, according to the state school facilities association. “The sheer cost of this work and the invasive nature make these both difficult and expensive projects,” the association said.

When combined with necessary upgrades to the electrical service and electrical distribution, window units cost approximately $20,000 per classroom and full HVAC systems cost millions of dollars depending on the size of the project, Lahey said. Districts often defray the cost by doing projects in phases.

Labor laws require set pay rates and other state regulations, which add to the expense, said Sean Leister, deputy superintendent of Port Jefferson schools.

Some districts may qualify for building aid, which uses a complex formula related to district wealth to determine the state's share. But the local cost could still be significant, experts said.

Patchogue-Medford schools had a more than $85 million bond approved by voters in May  that will allow the district to upgrade HVAC systems and ensure heating and cooling in every classroom districtwide, the district said. 

Bonds aren’t always a sure thing, with communities hesitant to see their taxes increase.

“You have to have the public support to be able to pass a bond,” Leister said, adding that his district had three bonds for projects, including HVAC, fail in the last five years.

Capital reserves also require a public vote and districts must have a surplus for several years to build up enough funds, he said. 

“Nobody wants kids to be sweating in a classroom. Nobody wants students to be uncomfortable,” Eastern Suffolk BOCES Chief Operating Officer David Wicks said. “We want them to be in the best learning environment they can be in, but these upgrades cost money."