Sweating It Old School at School

South Orange Middle School was seeing an early exodus of students this afternoon due to the heat, but other public schools throughout Maplewood and South Orange fared much better in the grueling, grilling temperatures.

While the line reached out the office door and into the hallway at South Orange Middle School (SOMS) by early afternoon, the office at Maplewood Middle School was relatively quiet at 2 p.m.

District Health Director Judy LoBianco said that about 20 students (out of more than 1800) had seen the nurse at Columbia High School for heat-related complaints, but that the elementary schools were relatively quiet. LoBianco noted that the district's elementary schools all have air conditioning units in windows of upper floor classrooms.

At Seth Boyden School, the fifth graders were on a field trip, allowing staff to move other children into their air-conditioned classrooms. Students also were shifted to the air-conditioned library and computer lab, as well as the relatively cool auditorium.

Back at SOMS, parents, grandparents and babysitters waited to sign children out of classes for the day. Some kids waited  in chairs along the wall, as teachers and secretaries located students and called them to the office to go home. Other kids simply sat, cooling off after a morning spent in hot classrooms.

SOMS was the exception, said a district administrator, noting that other schools saw kids leave early for heat issues, but in much smaller numbers. 

"SOMSD schools took appropriate precautions to keep students safe in the heat today, including relocating classes, limiting physical activity, and keeping students hydrated," said Superintendent Brian Osborne.  "While conditions were challenging, there were no medical emergencies. Had schools closed early, some students would not have had the supervision and high quality nursing care that SOMSD staff provided today. Many thanks to all the staff, parents, volunteers and students who creatively modeled for our children making the best of a tough situation."

At SOMS, students and teachers agreed that third floor classrooms were sweltering. Eighth grade Social Studies teacher Martin Weber's room was one of those. Weber said "It's pretty unbearable.  These kids are trying to review for a final tomorrow. How can they concentrate in this?"

A number of students called home, complaining of heat and headaches. One parent said she came to school twice today. “My daughter came home sick from the heat,” she said. “Now it’s my son. He stayed to take a test, but how well could he do in the heat?” As her son arrived at the office, she asked, "Did you drink all the water you brought?"

 Maria Glasser went to the school to pick up her eighth grade daughter up and was headed to Marshall afterward to pick up her son. "It's just too hot for this," she said. "They need to either put window units in the classrooms or put solar panels on the roof. Look at how sunny the roof is. How much would that cost? It needs to be done. This is ridiculous." 

Grandparent Janelle Turner agreed. Her other grandchildren, she noted, attend school in nearby districts that had early dismissal. 

Physical Education teacher Johanna Wright said the PE teachers are letting the kids sit throughout gym class, but she feels "really sorry for the students and the teachers on the 3rd floor. It's got to be 100 degrees inside some of those classrooms. Students are asking teachers for passes to the office just to go cool off for a few minutes. Lots of parents are picking up their kids. It's really miserable in here today."

The South Orange-Maplewood School District yesterday issued a for today. Friday is expected to be much cooler, with highs in the 80s.

- Mary Mann contributed to this article.