Oct 9, 2024 - Climate

Too hot for school: Why Columbus classrooms added A/C

Alissa Widman Neese

A chart that shows "back-to-school cooling demand" in Columbus has increased 38% from 1970-2023 — Graphic: Climate Central; Note: "Cooling degree days" reflect the sum total, in degrees, that daily average temperatures in a time period need to be cooled to reach 65°F.

Classrooms of today need more cooling during the back-to-school season than in past decades, a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: Maintaining a comfortable and healthy learning environment is key to kids' educational success, but that's getting harder due to the warming climate.

By the numbers: A Climate Central report found that cooling demand between late July and early September increased 38% in Columbus between 1970-2023.

State of play: This is the first school year that all Columbus City Schools teaching spaces are air-conditioned after years of costly upgrades, a spokesperson tells Axios.

Previously, students had to attend classes remotely some days due to extreme heat.
Building conditions were one of several issues that led to a 2022 teacher's strike.

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Too hot for school: Why Columbus classrooms added A/C

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