Your Child's Hot Classroom Could Finally Get AC Under New NJ Bill

MORRISTOWN, NJ — There's plenty of reasons New Jersey students look forward to summer, but for those in schools without air conditioning, escaping the sweltering classroom heat is one of them. Many classrooms have no air conditioning, small fans and windows that only open a crack, leaving students to learn in classrooms that can be hotter than the air outside.

If some New Jersey lawmakers get their way, suffocatingly hot New Jersey classrooms could be a thing of the past. Assemblywomen Mila Jasey, D-Essex/Morris, and Angela McKnight, D-Hudson, introduced a bill that would require all schools to have temperature-controlled classrooms.

Air conditioning is not the only way that schools could achieve this goal, the assemblywomen said. Some other options they suggest include rearranging classrooms, planting trees near windows, and scheduling according to the weather.

Most schools start in the first or second week of September when temperatures hover around 80 degrees and let out in the third week of June when the average high temperatures are around 82. Combined with high humidity, the temperature inside schools can feel much, much hotter.

It's not clear whether or not Gov. Phil Murphy supports requiring temperature-controlled classrooms; his office has a policy on not commenting on specific bills unless they land on his desk. It was unanimously voted out of the Assembly education committee earlier this week.

The sponsors say that in addition to comfort, their goal in temperature-controlling classrooms is to make learning easier for students who aren't used to the heat.

“Multiple studies have shown a link between classroom environment and academic performance,” said Jasey, D-Essex/Morris. “This is not just about comfort; it’s about making sure that we provide students with the best classroom environment so they can properly focus and learn.”

“Focusing can be difficult if you are uncomfortable,” said McKnight. “It might not seem like a big deal to some, but being too hot or too cold can have a negative impact on learning. These guidelines can help schools provide better classroom environments to enhance student learning.”

The bill would task the Department of Education and the Department of Health with jointly creating guidelines for school districts, which local board of educations would be responsible for meeting. It does not say who would shoulder the cost of meeting the guidelines.

The bill has the support of the New Jersey Educators Association, the state's teachers union.

“Extreme temperatures like those that exist in too many of our schools hurt student learning. If we can air condition every movie theater in New Jersey and heat every fast-food restaurant, there is no excuse for failing to modernize our schools in order to give our students the best possible learning environment," NJEA president Marie Blistan said in a statement.

Do you think New Jersey classrooms are too hot? Or do you think they're fine as is? Email katie.kausch@patch.com with your thoughts.

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