Some Santa Rosa area schools without air conditioning to end early Friday due to heat

As a scorching heat wave settles in today for Labor Day weekend, some schools the North Bay and many across the state will end classes early and push back afternoon and evening football games.

In Santa Rosa, the Rincon Valley Union School District plans to send its 3,500 students home an hour earlier today, when the high is set to reach 106 degrees.

Five of the district’s eight campuses don’t have air conditioning, Superintendent Tony Roehrick said, explaining his decision to cut short the school day across the district. Most of unequipped schools were built in the 1950s and early 60s and haven’t been upgraded.

Students will be dismissed between 1:30 and 2 p.m., before the hottest part of the day.

“We don’t want to put anybody at risk,” Roehrick said.

“We know those rooms will be way too warm for effective teaching and learning. People won’t be at their best sitting in sweltering heat.”

In Petaluma, where today’s projected high is 100 degrees, Kenilworth Junior High students also will be released early at 1:20 p.m. The 867-student campus is the only one in the district without air conditioning, Superintendent Gary Callahan said.

Afternoon classes will remain in session at Petaluma High School. However, Principal David Stirrat said physical education classes will not be held outdoors. The school also canceled a freshman football game Thursday.

As for JV and varsity football games today, it’s unclear whether they’ll be called off, too. Stirrat said Petaluma High planned to move games against Santa Rosa High a little later, to starting times of 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. On Thursday, however, he said they would have to “continue to monitor the weather situation.”

Neighboring Novato will dismiss classes at noon.

In Cloverdale, where today’s projected high is 109, school officials were planning to keep students indoors for lunch; all classrooms in the generally hotter interior city are air-conditioned. Cloverdale Unified School District Superintendent Jeremy Decker said their junior varsity game today will be moved an hour later to 6:30 p.m.

Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District and Santa Rosa City Schools aren’t planning any changes to their schedules.

“Our schools are all air conditioned,” said Robert Haley, Cotati-Rohnert schools superintendent. He said principals also will ensure school activities are “appropriate for the heat.”

Santa Rosa schools spokeswoman Beth Berk said most classrooms have air conditioning in the district, the largest in Sonoma County. For those that don’t, fans and portable air-conditioning units were provided. Principals also received information on avoiding heat related illnesses, such as encouraging students to hydrate and modifying recess and P.E., she said.

For Rincon Valley, the heat wave arrives a year before the district plans to complete bond-financed installations of air conditioning units at school sites that currently lack them. Roehrick, the superintendent, said state approval of that work is pending.

“A year from now, this won’t be an issue from us,” Roehrick said.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 707-521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.