Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – For the second day this week, Presque Isle High School closed early because the extreme heat was making it difficult for students to stay focused. “We dismissed school both Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.,” said SAD 1 Superintendent Gehrig Johnson. “It’s a rare occurrence when we do dismiss early [because of the heat], but it has happened. It was last done about 10 years ago.
“We have an un-air conditioned building with 800 people in it, and it gets much warmer, much quicker on the top floors of the building especially when we have a several-day spell of high temperatures and humidity like we have. When we opened up the building around 6-7 a.m. Monday from the weekend, it was about 78 degrees inside and humid. It continued to get worse from there.”
Johnson said the district has the capability to monitor the temperature in the classrooms via computer.
“It’s actually 2-3 degrees warmer today [Tuesday] in the rooms we were monitoring than it was Monday,” he said.
One classroom Monday that isn’t monitored by computer but was checked independently by the district reached 90 degrees.
“That was when I had to make a decision at 11 a.m.,” said Johnson. “We knew it would continue to warm up and would reach the mid-90s later in the day. With 800 people packed into a building, it’s just not safe.
“We’re here to educate children, but it’s very hard for the students to concentrate on their studies when it’s 90 degrees,” Johnson said.
According to Deb Raymond, health services director, a number of students came to the health office feeling “overheated and flushed.”
“They were flushed in their face, very sweaty, a little headache-y, and occasionally a stomachache, as well … just overall not feeling well,” she said, “and we’re sure it was due to the heat.
“We saw maybe five or six kids Monday … enough to be concerned,” said Raymond. “Teachers did what they could … they’d have their lights down low and windows opened. We’re doing some routine things like making sure they’re drinking well and taking some extra water. Some kids have come in with sweaters on and we’re making them take them off. When it’s this hot, comfort is more important than fashion.”
Raymond said students were displaying similar symptoms yesterday, as well.
Lunch was able to be served both days, therefore, according to the Maine Department of Education, Monday and Tuesday were considered full days of school and the shortened days don’t have to be made up.
Tuesday was only the sixth day of the 2009-10-school calendar.
