Schreiber students have one experience in common: discomfort due to extreme temperatures in the classroom.  Some rooms seem to always be too hot, while others are always too cold, making it difficult to focus on a lesson in either case. Studies show that extreme classroom temperatures can affect a student’s ability to learn and function.

The worst offender would probably be the Social Studies hallway, where the rooms get so hot that classes are sometimes cancelled or relocated to prevent heat stroke.  This past June, some classrooms measured over 110°F.  These absurdly high temperatures not only take away from class time, but also cause students to feel lethargic and unfocused.

Many parents have noticed that their children were tired and unable to do anything for a couple of hours after spending too much time in overheated classrooms. However, other areas of the school, such as the A and B Wings, leave students with goosebumps because they are so chilly.  Even on the hottest days, one feels that they need a sweatshirt in those classrooms.  Students may have a more difficult time learning in such an environment as the temperature can be distracting, removing students’ attentions from their studies as they focus on finding a sweatshirt.

Investing in better climate control systems for classes could go a long way in increasing student comfort throughout their school day.  Studies have found that raising room temperatures even to 80°F have decreased student performance by more than ten percent.  In a room well over 100°, working productively is near impossible.  Last year the school spent two million dollars renovating the fields around campus.  Where could this money have been better spent?  The additional funds would have helped a larger portion of the student body if proper air conditioning or heating systems were installed throughout the building.