this has been an increasing problem for several reasons.

Many of these schools are very old and either don't have or don't have properly functioning air conditioning systems. This is a major issue all across the Commonwealth, especially in SWVA (Hence the Stanley bill that's being promoted by a bipartisan group to provide funding for school reconstruction/repair).

Frankly, older schools simply weren't designed to operate in summers. Most were fitted with large windows that no longer open/close properly. If the school was retrofitted with air conditioning, widows were bricked over to add portable (motel-style) units, effectively negated the use of the window for fresh air. With schools starting after Labor Day, students had fewer days to suffer through steamy classroom environments. But now with schools starting in early August, kids are potentially exposed to unhealthy classroom environments much more often in the heat of the hottest month.

The other issue is that schools are starting earlier and earlier in the summer, despite the state law that mandates public schools start AFTER Labor Day. School divisions are granted waivers to start earlier so they can better deal with inevitable weather delays and closures during the winter and so they can better craft their schedules so that semester breaks fall around the natural Winter/Christmas break. In the old system, schools would start back in the new year and almost immediately have to go to an exam schedule to wrap up.

In addition, school divisions are trying to steer toward the year-round school model. They believe that mini-breaks between six or nine week periods allows students to retain material better and allows parents to go to Disney World in the Winter without kids missing so much school. Research is mixed on how effective the year-round model really is (I'm opposed to it).

Speaking from experience, when a classroom lacks air conditioning, ventilation, or functional windows, the room becomes unbearably stuffy. A combination of humidity, lack of air movement, bodily gases (not kidding), cooling tend to make the environment hostile to learning.



[Post edited by Newt at 08/16/2018 1:56PM]