The New Rochelle City School District Board of Education held a first reading on a proposed policy addressing extreme heat conditions in instructional spaces, outlining steps to keep students safe and discussing the operational and funding implications of closing rooms or entire buildings.

Under the draft described by the superintendent, when a shaded, mid‑room temperature measurement exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit the district must take specific actions: reduce heat sources, increase ventilation, provide water and rotate students into air‑conditioned spaces as practicable. The policy sets higher thresholds that may require room or building closure in extreme cases. "When it goes above 82 degrees, that several actions need to be taken," the superintendent said.

Trustees asked facilities staff to inventory air‑conditioned spaces, verify that room units are sized and sited correctly, and identify cooling centers or alternative supervised locations before the hottest months. Facilities director Keith Watkins (identified by the superintendent during the discussion) told the board that installing or approving air‑conditioning units is more complex than buying window units because equipment must be sized by BTUs and matched to square footage and electrical capacity.

The board also discussed calendar and funding consequences. The superintendent said closing a single school day can affect state aid and that last year the district lost state funding for one closed school day — approximately $30,000 for that school — under current funding rules. Trustees asked administration to develop plans for early dismissal, use of alternative sites (libraries or other cooling centers), and to work with the commissioner of education about required school‑day counts.

No vote was taken; the district will assess building cooling capacity and return to the board with more detailed implementation options.

Next step: facilities staff will inventory HVAC and cooling capacity, and the administration will explore supervised alternate spaces and calendar adjustments before bringing recommendations back to the board.