PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s the first day of school in Philadelphia and the district is already planning to dismiss some students early because of extreme heat.
“When we expect the temperature to climb greater than 85 degrees in the early mornings, which we expect to happen this week, we unfortunately have to send kids home early,” said Superintendent Tony Watlington.
In April, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts donated $200,000 so the school district could buy air conditioners for schools without them. Several schools received air conditioning units over the summer but 63 still do not have adequate air conditioning.
Finletter Elementary School in Olney is not on the early dismissal list. Principal April Brown says parts of her school will be uncomfortable.
“We cope. Our classrooms are fully air conditioned but common spaces like this, we do not have air,” said Brown at a news conference Monday where she urged more federal funding to improve school facilities. “So our auditorium, our hallways and our cafeteria, we do not have air.”
The following schools will be dismissed three hours early on Tuesday, Aug. 27 and Wednesday, Aug. 28. All other schools and administrative offices will operate on a normal schedule.
— AMY Northwest
— Anderson, Marian
— Bache-Martin
— Blaine, James
— Bridesburg Annex
— Building 21
— Castor Gardens
— Catharine, Joseph
— Comegys, B.
— Comly Watson
— Crossan Kennedy
— Disston, Hamilton
— Dunbar, Paul
— Ellwood
— Emlen, Eleanor
— Fell, D Newlin
— Fitzpatrick, A.
— Fox Chase
— Franklin, Ben HS
— Girard, Stephen
— Harding, Warren
— Henry, Charles
— Hill-Freedman
— Hopkinson, Francis
— Houston, Henry
— Howe, Julia
— Jenks, Abram
— Jenks, John S
— Kirkbride, E.
— Lamberton
— Lingelbach, Anna
— Loesche
— Ludlow, James
— McCloskey, John
— McClure, A.
— McMichael, M.
— Meredith, William
— Mitchell, Weir
— Moore, J. Hampton
— MYA
— Nebinger, George
— Olney Elementary
— Overbrook Education Center Annex
— Overbrook ES
— Parkway West
— Patterson, John
— Rhawnhurst
— Roosevelt, T.
— Rowen, William
— Roxborough HS
— Sayre, William
— Sharswood, George
— Sheppard, Issac
— SLA (BFHS)
— South Phila. HS
— Spring Garden
— Spruance, Gilbert
— Sullivan, James
— Tilden, William
— The U School
— Wagner, Gen. Louis
— Waring, Laura
— Washington, Martha