School board president Robert Spatz sounded a cautionary note in the exchange with complaining parents, again in an email to a list on which I have been included. After detailing some of the costs and complexities of a district-wide air-conditioning install, he added this about a “disconnect” between parents have been relating about their children’s extreme discomfort and worse and what the district is hearing:

Last, but certainly not least, as [Supt.] Dr. [Albert] Roberts mentioned in his message, there is clearly a disconnect between the information we are receiving from our buildings about heat-related illnesses and what you have been sharing with us this week.

We do plan to investigate this so we can get to the bottom of the discrepancy. However, what will be helpful for us is if you can please let your childs school know if he/she comes home with what you believe to be a…

Things are heating up (per email, expanded by editor):

No School on Sept. 10 for Non-Air-Conditioned Schools

Reported by 204-enews@ipsd.org on 9/9/13

In looking at the weather forecast and the continued high temperatures expected for tomorrow, district administrators have decided to cancel classes at the 20 schools without air-conditioning on Tuesday, September 10. Staff members will report to work in all district buildings. . . . .

Per the announcement linked above, 20 Naperville schools without air conditioning will be closed tomorrow. In addition, District 204 has formed a “Heat Plan Committee”, and the district also has a heat plan with guidelines for early dismissal and school closure.

Heat Plan for Non-Air-Conditioned Buildings

The district monitors internal/room temperatures in non-air-conditioned schools throughout hot days. When the temperature exceeds the recommended guidelines of safety, which is when the Effective Temperature calculation (ET) reaches 85 degrees, we recommend the following early dismissal…

This from the latest of a series of concerned, even indignant emails about non-air-conditioned Oak Park classrooms:

Dear Mr. Spatz [District 97 board president],

Since you have been included on this email chain, I trust that you will ensure that the Board allocates time at tomorrow night’s meeting for parents and other concerned parties to be heard on the issue of heat emergencies and the district’s plan to address same (including but not limited to both short and long-term solutions like air conditioning).

As noted in [parent] Laura Garcia’s email, that issue does not appear on the Board’s published agenda but clearly it is an issue of great and immediate importance to your constituent families, seeing as we are in the midst of yet another heat emergency this week, with temperatures projected to reach and perhaps exceed 95 degrees tomorrow.

Thank you.

Tracey Truesdale

The meeting is set for 7…