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September 06, 2023

Early school dismissals in Philly extended through Friday as heat wave persists

Temperatures are expected to hit 96 degrees on Thursday and 93 degrees on Friday. Schools without air conditioning will close 3 hours early

Education Weather
Early school dismissals heat Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice

Philadelphia students returned to class this week, but many have been dismissed early each day because their schools lack air conditioning. Those early dismissals will continue through Friday.

Hundreds of students in Philadelphia will head home three hours early for the rest of the week, as sweltering temperatures continue.

The School District of Philadelphia said 86 schools without air conditioning or adequate cooling will end classes in the early afternoon on Thursday and Friday. The adjusted schedule is an extension of the one implemented on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the list of affected schools has expanded to include 12 more.


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The district's extreme heat protocol is initiated when temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 85 degrees for one or more days in a row. According to the National Weather Service, a high of 96 degrees is expected on Thursday and a high of 93 degrees on Friday. The heat wave began Monday.

The new school year began Tuesday. Students headed back to class after a nearly three-month summer break. 

The schools operating on three-hour early dismissal this week are listed below:

A.L. Fitzpatrick School
Abram Jenks Schol
Alain Locke School
Alexander K. McClure School
AMY James Martin
AMY Northwest
Andrew J. Morrison School
Anna B. Day School
Anna L. Lingelbach School
Andrew J. Morrison School
Bache-Martin School
Benjamin B. Comegys School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Bridesburg Elementary School
Bridesburg Annex
Building 21
Castor Gardens Middle School
Central High School
Charles W. Henry School
Clara Barton School
D. Newlin Fell School
Eliza B. Kirkbride School
Edward Gideon School
Eleanor C. Emlen School
Ellwood School
Ethan Allen School
Feltonville Intermediate
Fitler Academic Plus
Fox Chase School
Francis Hopkinson School
Franklin S. Edmonds Elementary School
General Louis Wagner Middle School
George W. Nebinger School
George Sharswood School
Gilbert Spruance School
Gloria Casarez Elementary School
Grover Washington School
Hamilton Disston School
Henry H. Houston School
Hill-Freedman World Academy
Horace Furness High School
Hunter Elementary School
Isaac A. Sheppard School
J. Hampton Moore School
James G. Blaine School
James R. Ludlow School
James J. Sullivan School
John Bartram High School
John F. McCloskey School
John M. Patterson School
John S. Jenks School
Joseph W. Catharine School
Joseph H. Brown School
Julia Ward Howe School
Kennedy C. Crossan School
Laura W. Waring School
Lewis C. Cassidy Academic Plus
Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy
Martha Washington Academic Plus
Mastbaum High School
Morton McMichael School
MYA
OEC Annex
Olney Elementary
Overbrook Elementary School
Parkway West
Paul L. Dunbar School
Penn Treaty
Rhawnhurst
Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Roxborough High School
SLA
South Philadelphia High School
Spring Garden School
Stephen Girard Elementary School
Thomas K. Finletter School
Tilden Middle School
The U School
Warren Harding Middle School
Watson Comly School
Weir Mitchell Elementary School
William H. Loesche School
William H. Hunter School
William M. Meredith School
William Rowen School
William L. Sayre High School
The Workshop School


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