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Early start may cause heat problems
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Written by Tyler Lesthaeghe
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Friday, 16 February 2007
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Hot classrooms may become an issue once again at the start of the school year after the school board voted to begin classes on Aug. 23 next year, five days earlier than this year.
This reverses a decision three years ago to move the start of school forward five days after having a number of early dismissal days during the first full week of school.
That year, temperatures were well above 90 degrees. Nurse Linda Manders told the Beak ‘n’ Eye in 2003 that between the days of Aug. 21-29, she sent anywhere from 10 to 15 students home per day because of the heat.
Under the new schedule, Aug. 23 and 24 will be two-hour early dismissal days. There will then be a full normal week before Labor Day, with a one-hour early dismissal on Wednesday.
Davenport Community Schools human resources director Linda McClurg told school board members that there will be warm weather whenever school starts in August; however, this schedule makes the transition back into school easier, she said.
McClurg said that otherwise students would have early outs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and full days on Thursday and Friday before the holiday weekend.
According to the Quad-City Times, about 60 percent of Davenport school buildings do not have air conditioning, with West being one of them. West has air-conditioning in the offices, library, and computer labs. Most classrooms are not air-conditioned.
School board member Tim Tupper also said that hopefully with money from the Physical Plant and Equipment Levee and the one-cent local option sales tax, air conditioning can be a priority for buildings.
School board members also examined other solutions to the heat problem during the board meeting on Jan. 22.
School board member Ken Krumwiede suggested having custodians open windows early in the morning to help. He also suggested more fans to help keep everyone cool as well.
On the school level, reaction to this decision is mixed.
"I know it was quite a discussion at the school board meeting," said Nancy Jacobsen, principal. "We’ll start on the day they tell us to start."
Junior Corey James thinks that starting earlier will cause problems.
"It’s hot enough at the beginning of the year," said James. "Starting earlier will only be worse. It’s hard to think when it’s really hot."
Lindsay Wolf, junior, agrees.
"We really don’t need to start any earlier," said Wolf. "The earlier we start the warmer it usually is, so it’s pretty much pointless."
Some students, however, do not believe there will be a major difference. Sophomore Joe West says it isn’t a big deal.
"It doesn’t really bother me," said West. "It’s just five days."
Vacation dates will be determined after contract negotiations with teachers are finished later in the school year.
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