Parents frustrated after 90 Philadelphia schools dismiss early due to hot weather
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It was an early start to the weekend for thousands of students across Philadelphia after the school district shut down dozens of schools early on Friday due to the hot weather. The district said it's a move to keep kids safe, but parents say changes should've been made long ago.
ALSO SEE: 90 Philadelphia schools to dismiss early Friday due to extreme heat
Early dismissal may be fun for the kids, but not so much for the parents.
"I get to play with my friends outside," one student said.
"I just drove all the way from Mt. Airy. I got a detail shop up there, so, it was a half-hour drive," said Isheen Bernard, whose daughter is in kindergarten. "I have a flexible schedule so I can kind of get around it today, but I was a school teacher so I know how difficult it can be for parents."
District officials said the decision to send students from 90 schools across the Philadelphia public school district home early due to the heat was out of an abundance of caution.
"We can't have our students in that kind of weather. We do not want to have a breeding ground for heat-related illnesses," said one school official.
The schools released early Friday either don't have air conditioning, have issues with the a/c, or have electrical issues – which is no easy fix for the district.
The lack of air conditioning is just the latest in a list of building issues the district is facing. Many of the buildings are decades old and in need of more than just A/C.
"So you have to think about the electrical support systems. That means installing electrical cooling units, it means upgrading the electrical system," said Monique Braxton, with the Philadelphia Public School District.
While officials said repairs are underway at many schools, there are a lot of buildings in need and it's unclear when they'll all be ready.
"It's an ongoing process. We have contractors now across the city working on buildings, installing air conditioning, working on electrical systems," a school district official said.
Some of the frustrated parents said these upgrades are long past due.
"I'm missing work. Get these kids some air," said one parent.
"Hurry up and get air conditioning in these buildings so these kids can still learn," said another parent.
These early dismissals because of heat could also throw a wrench in Superintendent Tony Watlington's pilot program for year-round schooling.
"We'll look at the buildings that have air conditioning so they can hold students year-round. It's the same plan for our summer programs. We're not going to have students in sweltering buildings," Braxton said.
Still, some parents said they are on the fence about sending their kids to school year-round.
"Certainly, I don't think kids will be happy with the idea of year-round schooling. But it could also cut into vacation for families," said Kevin Ruff, whose daughter is in 3rd grade.
The year-round schooling pilot program is slated to start with 10 schools, but Braxton said that depends on the budget. She said they'll look at schools all over the city to see which ones will be included.