Heat Prompts Iowa City Schools to Release Early Again on Friday

Update (7:05 p.m., Aug. 30)

Iowa City school will let out early again on Friday due to heat. Schools will be let out two hours early.

Update (9:30 a.m., Aug. 30):

Iowa City schools will be dismissing one hour earlier than usual today, the district just announced.

Schools in Iowa City typically dismiss an hour early on Thursdays, so this would be an hour earlier than that dismissal time. Superintendent Steve Murley previously said he would be monitoring the temperature, which is expected to hit the mid- to upper-90s today.

Previous reporting:

have no plans to dismiss early due to heat this week, but will be monitoring temperatures and will be prepared for early dismissal, if necessary.

Schools in the for the remainder of the week due to heat, which is predicted to be 98 degrees on Thursday and 94 degrees on Friday in Cedar Falls, according to the National Weather Service.

"We will be monitoring temperatures tomorrow and, if necessary, will be prepared to dismiss earlier," Superintendent Steve Murley said in an email. "Similar to inclement weather in the winter, these decisions need to be made by 10 a.m. to allow for our buses to be prepared to transport students at the end of a shortened day."

Murley said their are several factors in determining when early dismissal is necessary.

"Wind, clouds, humidity, etc. all play a role in the impact of the external temperature on classroom temperature. Our building principals help us to keep tabs on the classrooms that are most likely to register high temperatures," he said.

Thursdays have early dismissal normally in the district to accommodate administrative duties, Murley said.

The National Weather Service prediction for Iowa City is 96 degrees on Thursday and 93 degrees on Friday.