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Students take Regents exams in classrooms without AC at BPS

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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Some students and community members are calling out Buffalo Public Schools for sending students into hot classrooms to take Regents exams amid this heat wave.

Eniece Glenn, 19, is a senior at BPS who just took her regents exams this week.

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WKBW

She tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person that she took the exams in steamy classrooms with no air conditioning.

“I doze off from time to time. It was too hot, like when you try to sit there and think and process and you feel the heat, it wears you out,” she expresses. “It wears you out and makes it harder to think.”

A Buffalo Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement:

“High school students were not in school on Monday due to mandatory New York State Regents exams and on Wednesday, July 19, for the holiday. Since the regent exam schedule is mandated and set by New York State, high school students were required to sit for their regular regent exams, which lasted only a few hours on exam day. The district purchased 100 additional cases of bottled water this week to give to students and teachers participating in the Regents exams. The district is taking the following steps to help manage this excess heat during the final days of school: School engineers inspect all school ventilation systems to ensure proper air circulation; they tested all schools with air conditioning systems to ensure they were working properly; they monitor the ambient temperature; and they provide additional fans to schools. Additionally, the district has issued several announcements on various communications platforms, including daily automated calls to families, caregivers and students, to keep them informed and prepared for this week.

“It’s those three hours sitting there that still count,” says Eniece. “It’s extremely hot outside and we don’t have air conditioning in the classrooms. »

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“There should be central air conditioning in schools,” says BPS freshman Deonne Wedlington. “This avoids the risk of passing out or having an asthma attack without feeling too hot.

Meanwhile, a classroom heating bill is waiting to be signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“And she has to sign it,” says Eve Shippens, co-president of the Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization.

This law will require school districts to address heat conditions when classroom temperatures reach 82 degrees and vacate classrooms entirely at 88 degrees.

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“City kids are suffering because of the heat and failing because of the heat, and that’s just not right,” Shippens says. “We need to recognize that climate change is real and we are going to have increasingly hot Junes and students and staff should not be in these classrooms.”

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