With another week of 90 degree temperatures and possible Heat Advisories in store, Upper Cumberland school districts implementing strict heat safety protocols and monitoring tools.
Overton County Assistant Director Cristy Miller said the safety is the top priority for school officials during the current heat wave. Miller said every school in the district utilizes specific instruments and regulations to determine when the heat index has reached a threshold that makes outdoor activity unsafe.
“We’re just wanting to make sure that our students are not outside when the heat heat index is extremely high,” Miller said. “Of course the safety and well-being of our students and our staff are our top top priority so we’re keeping an eye on those things to make sure that they’re not going outside during those times.”
Miller said schools are adjusting daily schedules to allow students to go outside earlier in the morning before temperatures peak. Miller said teachers and coaches are also instructed to provide frequent water breaks even when the heat index has not yet reached a critical level.
“They’re not usually outside for an extended period of time everybody has a certain amount of time allotted for recess so it’s not an extended period of time but if it’s also they need to have recess inside we do allow them to continue to have recess but do inside instead of outside,” Miller said.
Miller said school nurses identify and track students who are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and communicate those needs to teachers and administrators. Miller said parents should send children to school in cool clothing and ensure they have water bottles to stay hydrated throughout the day.
“Health and safety of our of our students and our staff is our number one top priority and we’re going to do everything to make sure that they’re safe in in this heat,” Miller said.
Jackson County Director of Schools Jason Hardy said the school system is prioritizing the maintenance of HVAC systems to ensure all classrooms, gyms, and cafeterias remain fully air-conditioned.
Hardy said the district is also focusing on the safety of students during afternoon bus routes by providing water to students, drivers, and monitors to limit heat exposure.
“Probably the toughest thing we have are the buses and situations especially in the afternoon so we’ve tried to keep our routes going and as smooth as possible where we can limit the time that the kids are on the bus and we provided we provided water for all our students and our bus drivers or monitors or whoever would be on those buses,” Hardy said.
Hardy said school nurses are actively training staff and students to recognize the early symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hardy said coaches are following strict Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association guidelines regarding water breaks and time limits for outdoor practices.
“It’s good time to remind everybody in the school system of all these things that we’ve learned over the years about you know heat emergency so just this is a good time that we can go back and and touch up on that and make sure that we’re all aware of those signs and symptoms of heat,” Hardy said.
Hardy said the district has not experienced any major heat-related medical issues due to the proactive steps taken by maintenance departments and school staff. Hardy said maintenance crews spent the summer months preparing cooling systems to handle the strain of extreme temperatures.
“It’s a direct result from what our teachers staff and students are doing and listening to to the warnings and abiding by the modifications and just we trying to use some common sense and make sure that everybody’s in a safe place and our maintenance department I can’t say enough good things about them,” Hardy said. “It takes a toll on all of our heating and air when when we’re having to stay cool in this type of weather so they’ve been busy making sure that everything’s working properly.”
