Opinion: No school should have to close because of extreme heat

The importance of good ventilation in schools for covid-19 is, by now, well understood. But the imperative to improve ventilation in schools goes far beyond preventing the spread of diseases. We also need it because of the rising threat of extreme heat, which too many schools are not prepared for. In recent weeks, thousands of students were sent home early from schools in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Detroit because the buildings don’t have air conditioning. This happened in May, not in the summer months when heat waves usually arrive.