Millions Of American Children Attend School In Extreme Heat

According to a new study by Climate Central, millions of American children are forced to attend schools during periods of extreme heat. The organization reports, “Heat is dangerous for everyone, but children face higher heat-related health risks than others.”

The study examines the 65 largest cities in America, ranked by population. This included 12,000 schools with a total of 6.2 million students. Additionally, “About 76% of these students attend school in extreme urban heat islands — neighborhoods where the built environment adds at least 8°F more heat.”  To make matters worse, in a quarter of the cities analyzed, nine in every ten students attended school in an extreme urban heat island.

The Worst Cities

Some cities are much worse than others. A review of the data by Axios revealed that 98% of K-12 students in Louisville during the period from 2020 to 2023 attended schools in extreme heat zones. In Orlando and Wilkes-Barre, the number was 97%. In West Palm Beach and Neward, the figure was 95%

In each of these cities, heat indexes can rise well above 100°F on the hottest days. There is no evidence that all of these schools have adequate air conditioning. American Progress points out that “As global climate change progresses, extreme heat is becoming an increasing concern for the children, teachers, and staff across the country who are left unprotected by aging schools and child care facilities.”

It is difficult to determine why cities that take the least care of their children do so. The danger is not in question.