Heat Related Impact to SMS

Hello All-

I am sharing this message with the entire community and not just SMS families/staff because this decision has seemed to engage everyone in online discussion.

As questions have arisen regarding today's early release at Stafford Middle School, I wanted to provide additional context about the decision-making process.

While the majority of our schools are equipped with either central air conditioning or sufficient individual cooling units, Stafford Middle School does not have comprehensive air conditioning throughout the building. As temperatures increased throughout the week, the building was no longer able to cool adequately overnight. By the start of the school day, many classrooms were already above recommended temperature levels.

Connecticut guidance recommends that school environments be maintained within a safe temperature range, generally between 65 degrees and the low 80s. With several classrooms exceeding 80 degrees before students even arrived, we determined that continuing with a full instructional day at Stafford Middle School would not provide a safe or appropriate learning environment for students or staff.

I understand the disappointment surrounding the cancellation of the field trip. However, the logistics associated with an early dismissal made it impossible to safely and efficiently proceed. Transporting students to Hartford, dismissing two grades at a 10:50 a.m. dismissal, completing West Stafford and out-of-district mid-day transportation runs, dismissing high school and elementary at regular times and then transporting students back from Hartford would have required bus resources that simply were not available.

I also recognize that some may wonder why we cannot simply purchase and install window air conditioning units. Unfortunately, the challenge is more complex than acquiring the units themselves. Many classrooms would require significant electrical infrastructure upgrades to support the additional power demands. At this time, undertaking those building-wide electrical and HVAC improvements is not financially feasible.

Looking ahead, this experience has highlighted the need for proactive planning. Over the summer and into next school year, we will explore strategies to help mitigate similar situations, including potential scheduling adjustments during periods of extreme heat and fiscally responsible options for strategically expanding HVAC and cooling capacity within the building.

We appreciate everyone's understanding as we work to balance student safety, operational realities, and responsible stewardship of district resources.

Lastly, as I have seen this come up online: No, central office does not have AC. We are housed at SMS.