‘Uncomfortable’ conditions reported throughout Hempstead schools

Although the expectation is that temperatures will start cooling when kids go back to school, Mother Nature must’ve missed the memo about the seasons changing.

Either that, or this is simply the new normal.

But not everyone was prepared for the high temperatures this September — and the Hempstead school district has not been spared. Officials there are under a bit of heat as reports of “uncomfortable” classroom conditions are coming to light in the aftermath of the hottest summer ever recorded.

According to students and parents within the district, there was no air-conditioning during the first two weeks of school, and there is no set end date in sight to the conditions they describe as "tortuous." Hempstead school officials blame the conditions on its old cooling system, which they say was overwhelmed by the record-breaking heat and stopped functioning.

"We are working to increase the cooling capacity in our buildings,” the district said in a statement. “And prevent a recurrence in the future."

Aside from the hot conditions inside the building, the students who are forced to be there all day are just as heated emotionally as they are physically — upset at the districts “messed up priorities.”

“Administration is disorganized,” complained Phillip Fountain, a junior at Hempstead High School. "It’s hot. The AC don’t work. You got kids out here literally fighting every day, you got kids in that school smoking every day in the bathroom, you got all types of stuff in that school — and all they did was get us a new field.”

That field was just unveiled at the high school, estimated to cost roughly $2.66 million, according to Construction Journal — money Fountain believes should have gone to other initiatives that would work to improve the quality of life within the school and help students succeed better in the classroom.

The Hempstead school district, which has a minority enrollmennt of nearly 100 percent, spends nearly $30,000 per student each year, which is higher than the state median of roughly $25,000. Yet, they rank near the bottom of all school districts throughout the entire state, according to published reports, and touts a graduation rate of just 80 percent — with only 27 percent of students qualifying as “proficient” in math, and 38 percent in language arts. According to U.S. News & World Report, half of all the students enrolled throughout the district come from economically disadvantaged families, and prior to the passing of the Community Eligibility Provision — a federal program that allows districts in high-poverty areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all of its students — were enrolled in free lunch.

Fountain says the heat that he and fellow students feel throughout the day is intolerable, going as far to suggest the district postpone classes until the issue is resolved.

“I'm going to be honest, this is that unbearable," Fountain said. “It's like most kids can't even do their work.”
This academic year has started amid the hottest summer ever on record, starting on Sept. 4 this year for Hempstead students. That first week back featured daily highs consistently exceeding 90 degrees, and a weekly average temperature just short of 91 degrees — a significant increase compared to last year when the average temperature during the same week stood at a more sustainable 79 degrees.

In lieu of many other similar reports emerging throughout the state, the New York State United Teachers — which represents more than 600,000 teachers, school-related professionals, and professional faculty throughout New York — plans to introduce legislation that would set temperature standards for all school buildings in the state.

Lower classroom temperatures and improved air ventilation lead to improved learning ability and student performance by as much as 10 to 20 percent, according to the union, citing a study by the University of Tulsa. The study found that fifth-grade students’ math scores increased in correlation with increased ventilation.
The study also found that in 96 percent of the classrooms measured, ventilation rates were below the recommended level per person.

The proposed law would require “action to relieve heat conditions” when a classroom hits 82 degrees, and that classrooms be vacated entirely if temperatures surpass 88 degrees, as well as establishing a 65-degree minimum for the colder winter months.

“When schools are too hot, students can’t learn and teachers can’t teach,” union president Melinda Person said, citing another study, this time conducted by the union itself — a 200-page report named  “Overheated,” which details the toll that excessive indoor temperatures take on our educators and students. “Even animal shelters have maximum heat limits. Our schools do not, and it is disrespectful to both our students and educators."

Unfortanley, Hempstead is not alone in their struggles with the heat at the start of this school year. Other districts throughout the island, such as Northport, Lindenhurst,  Middle Country, and more — have all experienced extreme heat conditions that they say have hindered learning. 

“On the first day of school my classroom was over 90 degrees," said Andrew Luberto, a social studies teacher in Northport, "one of my students asked to get a drink of water, stood up, and then passed out cold. He just completely dropped to the floor."

Students and teachers, like Fountain and Luberto, are hoping as discussions and actions continue, these efforts will lead to a brighter, cooler, and more equitable future for not just students in Hempstead, but for students and educators all over Long Island.