In recent months, both students and staff alike have experienced a temperature issue in the school building at some point. For students, this is like transitioning from a snowy winter to a blistering summer in a brief walk through the school. In a survey taken, 35/35 students had experienced either an abnormally cold classroom or both abnormally hot and cold classrooms. Getting the air conditioning and heat repaired should be a bigger priority.

Out of the students that were questioned, 37.1% of them said the temperature affected their learning ability on a day-to-day basis. While 57.1% of the students said they can tolerate it, though they wish it was not a problem, only 5.7% are completely unbothered by the temperature extremes. Whether it’s supply chain issues or difficulty with maintenance scheduling, the temperature discomfort affects student learning. One student stated, “I wish they would fix the temperatures because my 2nd block is burning hot while my 3rd block is freezing cold, and it is quite hard to transition temperatures so quickly.” 

While some classrooms have been experiencing discomfort since the beginning of the school year, some have begun only recently. Unfortunately, the temperature problem has yet to be fixed, but teachers and students have reverted to problem-solving to create a temporary fix. Many teachers have brought or borrowed space heaters to warm up their classrooms while students layer up.

The teachers and students with the warmer classrooms face a different issue. Some teachers take their students out into the courtyards. If it is too cold, students are usually allowed to continue class in the Commons or outside their particular classroom. It is especially difficult for those students and teachers who have chosen to continue to wear their masks. The warm temperature of the classroom makes for difficulty breathing and causes more sweating than a usual school day should.

In conclusion, whether we’re too hot or too cold, at least we’re all experiencing this together, and we can just hope that it’s repaired soon and for good.

When asked if students would like to share anything more on the subject, they shared the following:

“I bet my classroom was the coldest room in this entire building. The Latin room was very cold, and there was just cold air being blown in the room.”

“I used to joke (during the early times around August) that I would go ‘out of the icebox, into the frying pan’ since three of my classrooms were cold enough to make me shiver, and I had to run XC in the blistering heat.”

“Coldness makes me sleepy!!”

“I wish that the school could be one warm temperature during winter.”

“HOT AND COLDNESS.”

“I hate always having to wear a hoodie because of the temperature.”

“Cold classrooms are better than the hot ones.”

“I’ve had to bring mittens to school because it’s been so cold… it honestly makes me dread going to school because it’s A.) unenjoyable and B.) I literally can’t focus.”

“Cold classrooms are tolerable while hot classrooms are not.”

“When multiple students are quite literally SHIVERING in class, don’t put them in that classroom. It’s unfair to them.”

“Ms. Springer’s room has a small little space heater that’s not any more than a foot tall. Apparently, the admin brought it in and her class was visibly grateful lol.”

“The Hot/Cold classrooms cause me to either overheat when excited or freeze when stressed.”

“It was colder in Congo’s room than it was outside. That’s ridiculous.”