Staff and students have never had air conditioning at McAuliffe, so it is very hot. But this year was worse! That’s why on the 3rd week of school, Monday through Thursday, the school decided to have an early release at 1:30. 

Mr. Dennis, the principal, said, “They [construction workers] started 2 years ago, but they couldn’t get it done, but now it’s year 3. There were supply chain delays, so they couldn’t get the work done because they needed parts to build the A/C.” Mr. Dennis also said that the goal is to finish by December or next summer. 

Ms. Moore, the community liaison, said, “It was awful. It was just awful. There is no airflow. It felt bad. Awful! Kids were very hot too, but,” she said, “kids did a good job staying in class.” She also said, “They [construction workers] should take time to make sure it’s right, there is no rush, but in an unrealistic world, I would want them to work faster.” After those heat days, she just went home and did more work.

Ms. Garfield, the 7th-grade dean, “Felt scared that this happened. It should be better.” She did appreciate that school got out early, but she “didn’t like the cause.” “Everyone was complaining about the heat. It was hotter than last year. I was frustrated because it should be a priority to keep students safe.” When she was asked if the construction workers should work faster, she said, “There is always room for improvement.”

The heat wave at McAuliffe was a big deal to staff and students. Those heat waves were very bad and hopefully will be fixed soon.