DETROIT (WXYZ) — Frank Donner is a kindergarten teacher at Gardner Elementary School in Detroit, one of the many Detroit schools without air conditioning.
Donner told 7 News Detroit that these past two days it's been 80-some degrees inside his classroom, his school and others have had to finish their day early due to the excessive heat.
When asked how the heat has been affecting his students when in class, Donner said; "It really slows things down for our students, they are lethargic. We're definitely paying attention to their needs as far as any breathing concerns, they are just way more tired, it's hard to concentrate. Of course we are trying to make things comfortable for them so there are a lot of water breaks that lead to a lot of bathroom breaks, just a lot of disruptions to our schedule."
It's because of this that unfortunately Donner said their year is off to a challenging start.
It's not just the kids who suffer inside the hot classroom, he said that it's the educators as well; "It’s just extra taxing and tiring, just day to day things take a lot longer when it’s this hot. I know I certainly work with people that have health conditions that are exacerbated by this sort of weather."
RELATED VIDEO: Southfield Public Schools closed Tuesday due to heat, other districts dismissing early:
It's a fact that a hotter classroom decreases learning.
This study found that even just a 1 degree hotter temperature inside a school for a year, resulted in learning dropping by 1% for that year.
Detroit Public Schools Community District has announced their plans to get working AC for all but 10 of their schools in the next five years.
RELATED VIDEO: Detroit Public Schools Community District shortens first day back because of the heat:
Donner said that when the cool air finally does arrive, so will a happier, more productive classroom.
"Moving forward though, all of our buildings need to be updated with contemporary, not just air conditioning, but also air filtration and heating systems to make sure that all our students and staff members are able to be healthy," said Donner.
Detroit Public Schools has sent out an email saying their school schedules will return to normal on Wednesday.
It is expected to be in the 80s on Wednesday.
