The Daily Populous Tuesday August 6th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by wbng.com and submitted by Forward-Answer-4407

MAINE (WBNG) -- Air conditioning in New York schools is not mandatory but with a bill recently passed by state lawmakers, it now is prohibited for New York schools to send students into classrooms that are 88 degrees or hotter.

Governor Kathy Hochul is expected to sign the bill into law, which would take effect in the 2025 school year. But, the Maine-Endwell School District was one step ahead.

Superintendent Jason VanFossen told 12 News that the air conditioning units are being installed throughout the district. Installations began at Maine-Memorial Elementary School.

“I think if anyone goes back to their years in school, sitting in a hot, sweaty uncomfortable room, it’s uncomfortable,” VanFossen said. “[And] physiology it impacts heart rate, breathing and cognitive function when you’re in a warm environment.”

Construction will be ongoing during the school year, but students will still attend classes like normal. Although this may cause distractions to the younger students, VanFossen said they are ready to take on the challenge.

”Keeping distractions to a minimum is key because obviously they still have to learn and they still have to be focused,” VanFossen said. “That will be a challenge at least for the next nine months to keep what is happening outside not their main focus and hopefully they stay focused on math and ELA in the classrooms.”

The project at Maine-Memorial will be done next school year. The entire project for the whole district should be done by 2028.

Copyright 2024 WBNG. All rights reserved.

Oper8rActual on August 6th, 2024 at 00:44 UTC »

Next week: Any kind of thermometer is banned in school grounds under the justification that they’re a “distraction” and “have the potential to be misused”.

galacticality on August 6th, 2024 at 00:11 UTC »

Uplifting on one hand, so grim when you realize that these conditions were and still are acceptable in so many places.

jg3hot on August 6th, 2024 at 00:04 UTC »

88! I'm dying at 80