Heat wave continues to cause cancellations, bus problems in St. Louis

Third graders, from left to right, Faith Jackson, De'Asia Jackson, and Jayceon Rhone compete in a round of a class game of Simon Says during indoor recess on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Nance Elementary school in St. Louis. The St. Louis Public School District moved recess indoors to prevent kids from overheating outside during the excessive heat warnings in the St. Louis area. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]

ST. PETERS — Conditions in some classrooms at Hawthorn Elementary in St. Peters this week have been "uncomfortable, but not dangerous" as air conditioning units have strained to cool buildings across the region during an intense heat wave.

Portable air conditioning units and extra fans have made a difference for students and staff at the school, according to a spokeswoman for Fort Zumwalt School District.

Temperatures in the region were expected to reach 100 degrees on Thursday as the lengthy heat wave continued to cause trouble during the first week of school for most districts in the area.

Students at Pierre Laclede Elementary School in north St. Louis were bused to the former Stevens Middle School on Thursday because of air conditioning problems.

Laclede students will be brought back to the school in the afternoon for dismissal.

St. Louis Public Schools also sent an alert to parents saying 24 bus routes would be delayed by up to two hours on Thursday afternoon because several drivers called out sick. There will be no bus service this week for after-school extracurricular activities.

Several school districts including Francis Howell and Lincoln County switched to early release schedules Thursday and Friday.

KIPP Inspire and Victory charter schools in St. Louis will release students early Thursday and Friday because of "cooling challenges" in parts of the buildings.

Many high school football games across the region have been pushed back to Friday night after sunset or Saturday.

St. Louis firefighters cool down after working at a house fire in triple digit temperatures in the 5900 block of Lotus Avenue in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. There were no reported injuries on the scene. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

St. Louis firefighter Corey Franklin of Engine 28 cools off at the scene of a house fire in the 5900 block of Lotus Avenue in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. There were no reported injuries as firefighters worked through triple digit temperatures. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

A St. Louis firefighter cools down after working at a house fire in rapidly rising morning temperatures in the 3000 block of N. Taylor Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. There were no reported injuries on the scene. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

"This is only my second fire of the day. Some of the guys out here have been to three," said St. Louis firefighter Tyler Midkiff, who pours water on his face to cool off after responding to fire at Action Auto Repair on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in the Kingsway East neighborhood. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]

Sprinklers douse the field at the St. Louis University Medical Center Recreational Complex as the sun rises over downtown on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

Damarion White, 3, of St. Louis, cools himself in the water spray at Barrett Brothers Park on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 in the Wells-Goodfellow area on St. Louis' north side.

"My car does not have air conditioning. I do this to cool off, and sometimes go inside the walk-in cooler," said Imo's driver Cross Cardinale, who hoses himself down in the alley after making a delivery on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, behind the store in the Central West End.

“It's a race to get the AC on,” said Jake Wheeler of Wheeler Mechanical as he lights a torch in triple digit temperatures while installing a new air conditioner at a home in the South Hampton neighborhood on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Wheeler works with a cooperative of independent contractors trying to keep up with the work as temperatures stress cooling systems in the area. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

Jesse Irwin of Carondelet Mechanical and Catherine Kustelski of Southwest Garden Mechanical move out an old furnace from the basement of a South Hampton home where they are installing a new heating and air conditioning system on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Irwin works with a cooperative of small independent contractors to keep up with the work. The homeowner's air conditioning failed last week and he has been using window units in the meantime. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

Roofer Joe Braddy wipes sweat from his face as he works on a home in St. Charles as temperatures soar into the triple digits on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.

"I am in town for a job interview. It's hot," said Madison Kerr, left, of Canada, as she grabs breakfast with Dorian Block as condensation covers a window on the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor & Education Center on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Forest Park.

Lawn mower Alberto Garcia takes his lunch in the shade of a tree in the New Town development in St. Charles County on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Temperatures soared into the triple digits on Thursday with heat indexes in around 115. Photo by David Carson, [email protected]

Condensation from the air-conditioning covers the a window as a runner enters the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor & Education Center on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, in Forest Park. The National Weather Service said Thursday's high temperature in St. Louis will be near 102 degrees, though stifling humidity will make conditions feel far worse, with the heat index expected to reach as high as 114 degrees. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]

Sprinklers cool one of few runners on the track at the St. Louis University Medical Center Recreational Complex on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Photo by Robert Cohen, [email protected]

Seven-year-old Jeremiah Lewis, of St. Louis, tries to stifle the splatter of water on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, as he and his brother, Messiah Lewis, play at a water spray at Barrett Brothers Park on St. Louis' north side. Photo by Christian Gooden, [email protected]

Athletic trainer Matt Zalewski takes a Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer (WBGT) reading on the football field Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles County. Sports practices at the high school lasted only an hour due to the results, per the Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines. Photo by Christine Tannous, [email protected]

Softball player Hailey Paul puts away equipment after heat forced practice to end early Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles County.

Kirkwood's Jaiden Sloan (1) gets ice water poured on his back by athletic trainer Kelsey Cunningham in the second half of a football game against De Smet on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, at Kirkwood High School. De Smet defeated Kirkwood 44-21. "It's just so hot," Cunningwood said. Photo by Christine Tannous, [email protected]

Meteorologist Sean Sublette explains a Heat Advisory vs. an Excessive Heat Warning, and the symptoms of heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke.

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Education reporter

An end is in sight to the heat wave cooking St. Louis with some of the hottest conditions it has ever recorded. But the area will first need t…