District calls off afternoon classes as heat soars
Aug. 22—St. Joseph public schools will dismiss early on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday amid excessive heat warnings for the area.
The district announced on social media that the extreme heat forecast for much of this week means all high schools will be in session from 7:25 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. only. Middle schools will be in session from 7:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Elementary school schedules differ, but all will be out of class by 1:15 p.m. The district said each parent has been contacted via the district's Student Services office for instructions on how to track where their bus is and how pickup/drop-off times are different.
Superintendent Gabe Edgar said Tuesday morning that on Monday, several students and school bus drivers experienced heat-related illness, and other problems, which caused some students to spend more than two hours altogether (morning and afternoon) on the bus. Edgar apologized, describing it as an unfortunate first-day-of-school disruption that needs to be prevented. It prompted the decision to reduce scheduled hours temporarily.
"You know, transportation is obviously a big part of our daily schedule, and we do have a contracted company that works for us. We're not in control of that," he said. "With what happened yesterday, we thought it was in the best interest of the students and the staff to go this route. So that's why we're here."
Specific elementary school schedules are as follows:
— Carden Park, Coleman, Edison, Field, Hosea, Lindbergh, Parkway, and Skaith schools will come into session at 8:10 a.m. and release at 12:45 p.m.
— Ellison, Hyde, Oak Grove, Pershing, and Pickett schools will come into session at 8:45 a.m. and release at 1:15 p.m.
The Lake Contrary and Mark Twain early learning centers, which teach students at pre-kindergarten levels, will maintain their normal schedules. However, no bus transportation will be provided on Wednesday and Thursday for those two campuses.
The summer heat has broken records across the country, and the forecast high is 95 degrees or above for each day of this week before Saturday and Sunday produce a chance of rain and lower temperatures. This is of concern aboard school buses, which, in keeping with the national norm, don't have air conditioning.
"When you're on the bus longer, whenever it's hot, that makes a difference," Edgar said. "It's not only the safety of the students, it's also the safety of the drivers. You know, we had a couple of incidents in which a couple of the drivers got sick as well."
The district said some after-school activities may still occur, so parents should contact the activity sponsor or coach for specific information.
The district said Monday it will not hold outdoor recess after 10 a.m., and it will carefully operate classrooms that are not 100% air-conditioned. These are present at Central High School and Bode Middle School. A handful of spaces at Truman Middle School are also without AC coverage.
The district has spent nearly $40 million, largely with federal support, bringing all other buildings to 100% coverage by air conditioning. Central is due for additional work that will bring it to 100% coverage by fall 2024. Bode's status is to be determined.
Bishop LeBlond High School previously announced it will be dismissing classes at noon through Thursday. St. Joseph Christian School has not made any adjustments to its academic calendar this week, but it will follow Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines on heat safety for after-school events, Co-Superintendent Danny Maggart said.
Marcus Clem can be reached at marcus.clem@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowClem
