August 31, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
Around a quarter of Philadelphia school district schools are not equipped with adequate cooling systems. Officials can call for virtual learning or early dismissal at those facilities when temperatures hit 85 degrees.
The School District of Philadelphia will dismiss students early at the 52 schools without adequate cooling systems due to excessive heat forecasted on Tuesday — just over a week into the 2026-2027 school year.
Temperatures in Philly are expected to reach around 90 degrees in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. A full list of the schools that will be impacted can be found on the district's website.
Early childhood programs in each of the schools will also operate on an early dismissal schedule and all scheduled after-school activities will be canceled, the district said Monday. Students are encouraged to wear lightweight clothing and stay hydrated throughout the day.
"The Philadelphia region is experiencing higher-than-normal temperatures," Oz Hill, deputy superintendent of operations for the district, said in a statement Monday. "And while the district has made significant progress toward ensuring our schools are adequately cooled to provide safe and comfortable learning environments, some schools still have inadequate cooling systems."
Around one-quarter of the district's buildings do not have the proper electrical capacity to fully cool their buildings. Per the district's extreme heat procedure, the chief operating officer can recommend early dismissals for those schools if temperatures in the city are forecasted to reach or exceed 85 degrees by noon. They can also recommend a remote learning day if temperatures reach or exceed that threshold by 9 a.m.
In 2022, officials set a goal that all 218 district schools would be properly air conditioned by 2027, but the cost and time commitment required to replace these systems have delayed plans. With the help of COVID relief money and a donation from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the number of Philly schools without proper HVAC systems has decreased from 118 to 52 in the past four years.
Kensington High School, a 110-year-old building at 2051 E. Cumberland St., was in the process of replacing its HVAC system over the summer when an inspector found asbestos. About 400 students and 90 staff members have been relocated to Austin Meehan Middle School in Mayfair, which closed in 2012 and is around 7 miles away from Kensington High School, which is expected to reopen in January.
McCloskey Elementary School in East Mount Airy, one of the schools listed for early dismissal on Tuesday, will be the subject of a Philadelphia Gas Works study regarding the feasibility of geothermal systems to heat and cool district buildings, WHYY reported.
Superintendent Tony Watlington has touted his $3 billion, 10-year facilities plan, which calls for the closure of 17 schools and the modernization of 169 buildings, as a solution to address the inadequate cooling systems among other district-wide infrastructure issues, but sources for two-thirds of the funding has still not been identified.
Research has shown that rising temperatures are correlated with worse test performances, lower attendance and more disciplinary problems, Chalkbeat reported.
"While we know that in-person learning is the best environment for students, the safety and well-being of our students, staff and families remains our top priority," Hill said Monday.
