Cooling Schools in a Hotter Climate

Climate Central analyzed cooling degree days (CDD) across 243 U.S. locations, finding that 95% experienced increased cooling demand during the back-to-school period (July 17 to September 8) since 1970. Over the last decade, human-caused climate change increased this demand by approximately 34%. The report highlights that extreme heat negatively impacts children's learning and health, while many U.S. schools lack the necessary HVAC infrastructure to adapt to these rising temperatures.

• Cooling demand during the back-to-school period (July 17 to September 8) has increased in 95% (231 of 243) of the analyzed U.S. locations since 1970. On average, these locations saw a 32% increase in cooling demand, with some cities experiencing more than double the demand. The highest average increases occurred in the West (+86%), Northwest (+62%), Northern Rockies and Plains (+40%), and Southwest (+38%).
• Human-caused climate change is responsible for approximately 34% of the increase in back-to-school cooling demand over the last 10 years (2014-2023). This influence was most pronounced in regions with historically low baseline cooling demand, such as the Northwest (59% additional CDD) and Northern Rockies and Plains (55% additional CDD).
• Extreme heat negatively affects children's health, behavior, and academic performance, with one study indicating that a 1°F increase in school year temperature correlates with a 1% reduction in learning based on test scores. Air conditioning can mitigate these effects.
• U.S. school infrastructure is largely inadequate for current climate conditions, as the average public school was built nearly 50 years ago. A 2020 Government Accountability Office report indicated that approximately 41% of public school districts need to update or replace HVAC systems in at least half of their schools, affecting about 36,000 schools nationwide.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Cooling Schools in a Hotter Climate. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/cooling-schools-in-hotter-climate

Chicago

Climate Central. Cooling Schools in a Hotter Climate. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/cooling-schools-in-hotter-climate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Cooling Schools in a Hotter Climate |date=7 August 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/cooling-schools-in-hotter-climate |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024cooling, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Cooling Schools in a Hotter Climate}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = aug, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/cooling-schools-in-hotter-climate}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }