One Lehigh Valley district has announced early dismissals for the rest of the week due to return of exceedingly hot conditions in the area.
The Allentown School District initially dismissed students early on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, saying in an announcement that temperatures exceeded 90 degrees, with a real feel temperature of 101.
But now, ASD has extended the early dismissals through the end of this week due to the extended heat.
All middle schools and high schools will dismiss at 11 a.m., while elementary schools and Building 21 will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Daily attendance will be taken, and breakfast and lunch will still be available to all students this week.
Schedules for Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and Lehigh Carbon Community College classes will remain the same. The district said Information about school-specific events, athletics and activities will also be released.
The National Weather Service is forecasting daytime highs in and around the 90s for the rest of the week, then dropping into the low 80s during the weekend.
ASD said that a high level of heat “disrupts student learning and productivity and creates a potential health hazard for students and staff - especially those with underlying medical conditions.”
The district also noted that some of its buildings still lack air conditioning. ASD said HVAC upgrades have added air conditioning to eight schools so far through the investment of federal funding.
It said the final phase of the upgrade project is expected to be completed in summer 2024.
Allentown School District serves over 16,000 students across its 21 school buildings.
(Original air-date: 9/6/23)
