In December 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul passed a law to prevent extreme heat in classrooms by setting a maximum temperature of 88 degrees. The law, which went into effect on Sept. 1, 2025, has required schools to make changes to comply with the new regulations.
“There’s that overwhelming heat that takes over your body that doesn’t allow you to focus,” said Daysi Gomez Euceda, a sophomore student.
Once classroom temperatures reach 82 degrees, teachers are instructed to turn off their overhead lights and start opening doors and windows.
“It becomes uncomfortably hot and near impossible to work,” said Ms. Brown, a global and economic teacher.
As a result, Ms. Brown opts to open the window and turn on fans but states this isn’t effective in maintaining internal temperatures.
If schools cannot find a way to bring down the heat, they may have to send students home or move them into another space, which could reduce learning time.
Teachers have tried to find the best way to keep their classes cool and ensure the comfortability of their students.
Mr. Mauriello, math teacher, said that his alternative is to “inform administration so I can move my class to a cool area.”
However, moving classrooms can lead to other challenges, such as the lack of desks or access to technology, and if it is even functional for students to work efficiently in a non-classroom environment.
At Brentwood High School, the two-story design of the building also causes heat to rise, and classroom configurations vary in each room.
“Certain parts of the schools have different temperatures at certain times of the year,” said Dr. Dulin, high school principal.
As a result, Brentwood High School has responded by installing new AC units in learning spaces that previously did not have them.
A recent voluntary poll of Brentwood High School teachers found that many classrooms have had AC units installed either at the end of the 2024–2025 school year or the start of 2025–2026. Some classrooms, however, still do not have air conditioning.
Out of the 66 teachers who chose to respond, 55 respondents (or 83%) shared that they do have AC units in their classrooms.
Of the respondents who said they do have an AC unit, 7 confirmed that they teach in a computer lab that has always had an AC unit. On the other hand, 29 teachers said that the unit was installed in their classroom within the last year.
Meanwhile, 11 teachers (17%) shared that they did not have a working AC unit. Of these teachers, 3 teachers said that the AC unit was physically present but not functioning or not located near a plug.
With temperatures reaching a high of 101 in June of last year — the 3rd hottest day on record, according to an article from News12 by Alex Calamina, — keeping the windows open may not be a sufficient solution at the end of the school year, especially during regents and final exam testing.
“We plan to make upgrades over the next few breaks and upcoming summer, and hope that when we return in September, we will have AC units in all of our classrooms,” Dr. Dulin said.
