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In the 1990s, I taught at a small school in a rural Missouri town with a population of around 1,200. Aside from the winter months, those classrooms were unbearable. It was unclear whether the high school lacked funds for air conditioning or if it simply prioritized football uniforms over student comfort. Managing the temperature meant propping open a window and hoping for a breeze. Even though we began the school year in the fall, my classroom often felt as stifling as a late June afternoon in the thick Missouri humidity.
The administration was aware that both teachers and students were working under intolerable conditions, so they provided a few strategies to cope with the heat:
- Fans: Bringing in a box fan from home did little more than circulate hot air and amplify discomfort.
- Water Bottles: Students were initially permitted to bring water jugs for hydration, but concerns about potential misuse led to restrictions. Rather than address the issue directly, they opted for the safer route of letting students risk heat exhaustion instead of potential intoxication.
- Principal’s Office: The only place in the building with a semblance of coolness was the principal’s office. Teachers and students often found excuses to linger there, if only to escape the oppressive heat. After all, the printer needed a cool environment to function—but shouldn’t the students also have a suitable learning environment?
Eventually, the administration resorted to a half-hearted solution: sending students and staff home early. While this reprieve was welcomed by some students (those fortunate enough to have air conditioning at home), it inevitably meant sacrificing valuable instructional time. Each sweltering day could lead to three hours of lost learning, which accumulated quickly.
It was a classic dilemma: students couldn’t learn effectively if they weren’t in school, yet they also couldn’t learn if they were sweltering in a hot classroom.
I can’t provide much evidence of any meaningful learning taking place in my stifling classroom; concentration was nearly impossible. Both students and teachers were reduced to sweaty, lifeless figures, making retention of information a daunting task.
Research backs up my personal experiences. Studies have shown that extreme heat negatively impacts learning. One study tracked the correlation between heat exposure and cognitive performance over a 14-year period, finding that high classroom temperatures significantly hindered students’ PSAT performance. Goodman et al. concluded that student achievement dropped by 1 percent for each additional degree Fahrenheit of temperature leading up to the exam. For low-income and minority students, the adverse effects of heat were even more pronounced, with the impact tripling compared to their more privileged peers.
Furthermore, a study by the University of Tulsa’s Indoor Air Program revealed that as classroom temperatures were lowered from 78 to 67 degrees, students’ scores in math, reading, and science improved significantly. This indicates that proper ventilation and temperature control could elevate students’ average test scores above state benchmarks.
Standardized tests and grades may not capture the entirety of academic success, yet firsthand accounts from teachers illustrate how scorching classrooms stifle student learning. The New York State Union of Teachers encourages educators and parents to share their “heat stories,” and the feedback is overwhelming. For instance, one teacher from North Rockland reported classroom temperatures nearing 100°F, leading to lethargic students suffering from headaches and other ailments. Another teacher from Hyde Park described an environment so stifling that students appeared glazed over, with papers damp from sweat.
We’ve long recognized that inadequate sleep and poor nutrition can impede educational outcomes. Isn’t it evident that extreme heat can have a similarly detrimental effect? Do we need further evidence to understand that a hot environment diminishes cognitive function?
Ultimately, school boards face a crucial choice: invest in effective cooling solutions or continue to compromise students’ ability to learn. Let’s hope they choose wisely.
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