DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — For Gianna Dietz, day two of the school year was a short one.
“I’m kind of glad we’re getting out early," said Dietz, who is a fifth-grader at Mountain View Elementary.
Mountain View is one of six elementary schools in the Central Dauphin School District which will dismiss at noon on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday, August 28.
The others are:
- Chambers Hill Elementary
- E.H. Phillips Elementary
- Linglestown Elementary
- North Side Elementary
- Paxtonia Elementary
All six schools are without central air, something Superintendent Eric Turman wants to change.
“I did get an opportunity to visit the schools without air so I know exactly what the students and staff are going through which is why we wanted to make the decision as early as possible," said Turman.
The district uses a tool called "Real-Time" to track the "real feel" temperature in the buildings. This helps the district make decisions about when to dismiss early.
Turman says the district is planning to tackle the HVAC systems in the six schools over the next few years, a project with a hefty price tag.
“We know it’s a priority, we also know there’s a dollar figure attached to that so how do you create a plan where you address all six schools but do it in a way that’s going to be affordable for the community and also the decisions we have to make during budget time," he said.
In the meantime, several buildings do have window units in some rooms.
“Until there’re some kind of [central] A/C put in, it’s going to be like this every year, I’m pretty sure it was like this last year…day two, half day or back then it was virtual learning at one point for day two…it happens," said Dietz's mother, Gina.
FOX43 reached out to the district's Director of Public & Community Relations, Shannon Leib, asking for clarity on the exact situation in each building in regards to air conditioning.
Leib sent the following statement to FOX43 in response:
“Like other school districts across the state, Central Dauphin School District authorized early student dismissal on Aug. 27 and 28 because of the extreme heat.
Most schools in the district have air conditioning. Six schools do not, but even in these schools, there is air conditioning in common spaces, libraries, cafeterias and multi-purpose rooms. Students are rotated through the designated cool areas. In addition, several of the classrooms throughout all the buildings are equipped with window air conditioning units. Unfortunately, the district does not have the electrical capacity to install window units in every classroom.
The administration and the school board are working on an infrastructure plan that includes consideration of installing air conditioning in the buildings that do not have it. The board is building that plan in consultation with the district’s new architectural firm McKissick and is expected to vote this fall on installing air conditioning in two more schools next summer.”
Dietz says you have to go with the flow until the issue can be resolved.
“I work from home so these early dismissals are fine, I’m on my lunch break at the moment so it wasn’t a big deal for me but I’m sure other parents had to figure it out, take half days," she said.
Prior to dismissal, students are rotated through designated cool zones, according to the superintendent.
Students will get lunch before they are dismissed.
Morning kindergarteners will ride home on the regular elementary school busses, the district said. Afternoon kindergarten is canceled on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The district appreciates the flexibility of students, staff, and families as we navigate extreme heat conditions during these early weeks of school," Superintendent Turman said.
