Milwaukee Public Schools cancels classes for Thursday, its second day in a row, because of heat
Milwaukee Public Schools are closing Thursday — for the second day in a row — due to excessive heat.
After-school, recreation and athletic programs are also canceled, the district announced Wednesday afternoon. Central Services and administrative buildings will be open, and staff at those sites should report to work.
The Central Services building has air conditioning, but not all schools in the district do.
After a 2021 heat wave, superintendent Keith Posley said 17% of MPS buildings had air conditioning throughout the building. Another 63% had it in one or more rooms, and 20% had no air conditioning at all.
An excessive heat warning remains in effect until 7 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. It predicts a heat index value of up to 115. The heat index is what the temperature feels like to the body due to a combination of the air temperature and humidity.
The extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities, according to the National Weather Service.
The city of Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management issued a heat health warning for the city on Tuesday.
Wisconsin is among many other midwestern, eastern and southeastern U.S. states under a "heat dome" this week causing record-breaking temperatures. Heat domes take place when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a dome or a cap, causing high, lingering temperatures over particular areas.
The Milwaukee Health Department website includes a list of "cooling sites" with air conditioning accessible to the public, like Milwaukee Public Libraries and Milwaukee County Senior Centers. Those in need of assistance should call Impact 211, according to the health department.
Cleo Krejci covers higher education, vocational training and retraining as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. Support her work with a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/RFADonation.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Public Schools to close Thursday because of excessive heat
