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SANDY — Canyons parents who don't want to send their kids into hot classrooms will be able to keep them at their air conditioned homes without penalty for the remainder of the week.
District officials are keeping a close eye on 12 schools in the district that do not have air conditioning, said district spokeswoman Jennifer Toomer-Cook.
"Some of the readings they're getting in some of their classrooms are in the upper 90s," she said.
District officials are keeping a close eye on 12 schools in the district that do not have air conditioning, said district spokeswoman Jennifer Toomer-Cook.
All 12 schools will remain open for the rest of the week, but students who don't show up to school on account of the temperatures will be issued excused absences so long as parents notify schools.
Administrators are making efforts to cool the classrooms down, Toomer-Cook said. Custodians arrived during the early morning hours to open windows and doors today, she said. Teachers have put fans in classrooms and have resorted to putting blocks of ice in trays in front of the fans at Albion Middle School.
Elementary schools offering excused absences: Alta View, Edgemont, Midvale, Midvalley, Peruvian Park.
Middle Schools offering excused absences: Albion, Butler, Crescent View, Indian Hills, Midvale, Mount Jordan, Union.
Even still, officials recognize some children might be more sensitive to the heat than others, and with KSL weather forecasts showing an expected Thursday high of 99 degrees, and a Friday high of 98, the district wanted to give parents a choice.
Toomer-Cook said this is a unique excused absence policy the district doesn't anticipate it will need to use again in coming weeks. Temperatures are expected to dip into the low 90s and 80s next week.
Email:mfarmer@ksl.com
