In accordance with New York State law, the Board of Education hereby establishes the following policy regarding maximum temperatures in school buildings and facilities:

Actions to be Taken at Eighty-Two Degrees

All school buildings and facilities will be equipped with reliable temperature monitoring systems. The temperature monitoring will be performed in a shaded space, three feet above the floor near the center of the space. (Please note that kitchen areas used in the preparation of food for students are expressly exempted from these requirements and no such monitoring will be performed in those areas.) When the monitored temperature reaches 82°F, school officials will take action to relieve heatrelated discomfort (consistent with fire and building codes), including but not limited to the following:

• turning off the lights

• pulling down shades or blinds  

• turning on fans

• opening doors and windows  

• turning off heat-producing unused electronics  

• providing water breaks

If these measures fail to reduce the temperature and/or the heat-related discomfort, staff will initiate a relocation process for students and personnel to a cooler part of their facility (for example, an air-conditioned gymnasium, or outdoor shaded areas if safe and appropriate).

Actions to be Taken at Eighty-Eight Degrees

If internal temperatures reach 88°F, students and staff will be removed from educational and support services spaces when practicable.  The Superintendent will direct Building Principals to evacuate the space, to move students and staff to cooler locations. 

School Safety Plans  

Extreme heat conditions will be addressed in the District’s School Safety Plan as a possible reason for an emergency closure and it will contain, at a minimum, evacuation routes, shelter sites, and procedures for addressing medical needs, transportation and emergency notification of parents and guardians.

Remote Instruction

Consistent with the school’s remote instruction plan, schools may use remote instruction to address facility conditions over 88°F.