Schools are victims of their own success.

[Woodznutz]

So many schools are reducing school hours due to the heat. Most have no AC, few or no shade trees, and are poorly insulated. A product of their own teaching regarding building engineering, landscaping, energy inputs, etc.

My high school was surrounded by large trees, had ceiling high windows in every classroom, a natural cooling system (air was circulated through huge underground 'catacombs' and returned slowly to classrooms through door size vents. During hot periods the janitors would open all the windows at night to cool the entire building, whose sheer mass ensured comfort throughout the school day. A stately building, typical of its time, was built in the early 1900's.

Sadly, it has been torn down and replaced by one as described above.

 

[1srelluc]

I've not seen a "big box" school without AC in my AO.....Are you saying that the ACs are broken or never installed?

But yeah schools as well as homes were designed for natural cooling back in the day. My schools were the same as yours. They still got toasty at times though.

That said we were out by the end of the first week in June and did not return till after Labor Day.

We got the first day of deer season off too.....Back then it was on a Monday as there was no Sunday hunting.....All seasons started on a Monday.

 

[ABikerSailor]

The design of many schools is based on what the weather was like over 40 years ago, and summers have gotten a bit warmer and seem to be lasting a bit longer nowadays, which is why the design of schools based on natural cooling doesn't work as well now.

 

[DGS49]

Since schools are CLOSED in the summertime, and frankly, kids are more tolerant of heat than adults, A/C was considered an extravagance in most middle climates.

The thing that bothered me about my grade school - a thoroughly modern building otherwise - was that it was configured to PREVENT air ventilation. Windows on one side, with nowhere for any air to go. Opening the windows was pointless.

 

[SweetSue92]

So many schools are reducing school hours due to the heat. Most have no AC, few or no shade trees, and are poorly insulated. A product of their own teaching regarding building engineering, landscaping, energy inputs, etc.

My high school was surrounded by large trees, had ceiling high windows in every classroom, a natural cooling system (air was circulated through huge underground 'catacombs' and returned slowly to classrooms through door size vents. During hot periods the janitors would open all the windows at night to cool the entire building, whose sheer mass ensured comfort throughout the school day. A stately building, typical of its time, was built in the early 1900's.

View attachment 691630

Sadly, it has been torn down and replaced by one as described above.

Missed the entire point.

Most schools in use now, sadly, were built in the baby boom years of the 50s or 60s. There was no time or money to build these schools; it wasn't for lack of knowledge. So they were built "industrially", you might say. And now, because no one wants to fund the building you see above (or the modern equivalent), we are stuck with those low-slung, industrial buildings of the 50s put up quick for the Boomers.

And now, of course, the Boomers are whining about it. Because....boomers.

 

[Woodznutz]

Missed the entire point.

Most schools in use now, sadly, were built in the baby boom years of the 50s or 60s. There was no time or money to build these schools; it wasn't for lack of knowledge. So they were built "industrially", you might say. And now, because no one wants to fund the building you see above (or the modern equivalent), we are stuck with those low-slung, industrial buildings of the 50s put up quick for the Boomers.

And now, of course, the Boomers are whining about it. Because....boomers.

If you are going to build a schoolhouse 'quick and dirty' you might want to include air conditioning (it is certain that all had heating systems). Most of the schools mentioned have no AC or they would have remained open.

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