Area schools combat excessive heat

Area schools take precautions to keep students and staff safe during excessive heat.

Schools around the area started last week during the hottest week of the year.

High temperatures and record-breaking heat indexes have been a hot topic for schools in the Branson Tri-Lakes area, as they work to maintain a safe and healthy environment for their students.

On Thursday, Aug. 24, some members of the Branson and Hollister communities raised concern to the Branson Tri-Lakes News newsroom regarding bus rides to and from school, citing a lack of air conditioning. The news team reached out to local school districts to find out how they are dealing with the heat advisory to keep students and staff safe.

Hollister School District

On Monday, Aug. 21, the first day of school for the Hollister School District, an email was sent to families in the school district, informing parents of issues with air conditioning in some of the classrooms on campus.

“This morning it was discovered that there are classrooms around the district in which air conditioning is not working at full capacity as the extreme heat and humidity are making it tough to cool the buildings,” the statement read. “At this time, there are five classrooms in the early childhood center, three in the elementary, four in the middle school and one classroom in the high school that are being impacted.”

Since the email was sent out, Harris Mechanical and the school district’s maintenance team have gotten the units in the ECC and elementary schools back up and running. As of now, the team is working on the middle and high schools.

According to the Hollister School District, students in any classroom currently without air conditioning working at full capacity have either been moved to another room or have had a portable air unit brought in.

Precautionary measures are being taken by the school district to try to ensure students have a comfortable and safe learning environment.

Precautionary measures taken include:

- Students were provided a water bottle, compliments of the Skaggs Foundation.

- Students not going outside for recess when the actual temperature and/or “feels like” temperature is above 95 degrees.

- The high school football game at Cassville on Saturday, Aug. 26 was moved to 7 p.m. instead of 1 p.m.

Hollister School District Communications Director Kim Connell said the school district’s top priority is the health and safety of the students.

“The extreme heat and humidity have presented challenges as school has started during the hottest week of the summer,” Connell said. “Steps have been taken to ensure students are kept safe during this unprecedented heat wave both during the school day and on bus routes. We systematically create bus routes to be the safest and shortest possible to eliminate the amount of time students are on the bus. Those buses without air conditioning have all windows and roof hatches open to allow for air to circulate.”

Connell reiterated the students have been provided water bottles by the Skaggs Foundation to keep them hydrated throughout the day, and are monitored to ensure their safety.

Additionally, parents have been encouraged to ensure their students wear light clothing, such as shorts and a T-shirt.

“While we have not had any parents reach out to us directly, we, as always, encourage parents with a concern about their child to contact their building administrator,” Connell said.

Branson School District

Branson Public Schools Superintendent Brad Swofford told the Branson Tri-Lakes News the safety of students was the district’s top priority and they were taking many of the same steps as their neighboring districts to help the students deal with the heat.

“Safety continues to be our top priority during this excessive heat warning,” Swofford said. “Additional safety precautions have been put into place by our Transportation Department, such as: opening the windows to create airflow, minimizing the wait time for students, providing water to bus riders, and monitoring students while they are on the bus. We also sent a statement to our school families prior to the first day of school with reminders to send students with a water bottle and cool clothing. Water bottles donated by Skaggs Foundation are also provided to any student who needs one.”

Blue Eye School District

Blue Eye School Superintendent Doug Arnold said the school district has also been taking steps to combat the heat and to keep students safe and cool.

“We are having indoor recess. We are fortunate to have three gymnasiums which allows for that to happen,” Arnold said. “All classrooms and gymnasiums are air conditioned.”

Arnold said the school’s fall baseball team has resorted to having practice before school to beat the heat. As a precaution, the team’s first scheduled game on Saturday, Aug. 26 has been moved to Thursday, Oct. 5 due to the heat.

“Students are encouraged to drink plenty of water and we have several ‘bottle filler’ stations at our existing water fountains,” Arnold said.

Reeds Spring School District

Reeds Spring School District Communications Director Ben Fisher told Branson Tri-Lakes News the school has been combating the excessive heat by keeping outdoor activities to a minimum and keeping students and staff hydrated.

“At Reeds Spring Schools, we believe a safe environment is essential,” Fisher said. “That’s why we’ve kept students inside during recess, and some sports teams have moved their practice times to early in the morning before school. We’ve also been providing water on the buses for students and the drivers.”

All local schools were contacted. The schools who responded to requests were included in this story.

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