The intense bout of heat that's been blanketing New England this week has made for a tough start to school for many students and teachers.
Just over a dozen schools in Boston's public district lack air conditioning, and an online dashboard is shedding light on how hot it can get inside these classrooms.
Eleven of the schools recorded temperatures above 80 degrees before the clock hit noon. Six schools saw classroom temperatures reach and even exceed 90 degrees.
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That's not to mention the outdoors temperatures, that have felt like 90 and above over the last couple of says.
The founder of Undaunted K-12, a non-profit that advocates for climate-friendly schools, voiced concerns about the temperatures.
"Extreme heat is undermining schools' ability to do their core job — to educate and keep our children safe," founder Sara Ross said. "We know this has a real impact on cognition and performance. This is also about our kids' health, so extreme heat can trigger asthma."
Boston school officials assured the community that in the few schools that are not able to be outfitted with air conditioning, they are doing all they can with fans and supplying plenty of water.
Other districts in the Bay State — including Lowell, Worcester and Framingham — have all had to make the decision to close or let students go early this week as a result of the heat.
