A new report from the American Psychological Association warns that extreme heat is quietly limiting children’s ability to learn — and calls on schools to start treating heat in a similar fashion to snow days and other natural events that cause disruptions.
The report, “Schools, Climate, and Health: Responding to Extreme Heat,” focused on how heat affects children, teachers and school staffers. It argues that heat is not just physically uncomfortable, but also a public health issue that has an impact on everything from grades to everyday interactions..
Researchers have before measured an increase in “heat days” from 1970 to 2025.
Schools are on the front lines because children are in classes often during the hottest parts of the day, said psychologist and report contributor Nicole Barnes.
“Heat shapes how children think, learn, feel, and develop. That makes it a psychology issue,” she said.
When classroom temperatures begin to climb above 73 degrees, students complete cognitive tasks more slowly and less accurately, the study found. The higher the temperature, the more pronounced the problem.
Cooler classrooms are linked to higher performance in math, reading and science. Heat is also associated with higher rates of school absenteeism, which can worsen existing educational challenges and inequities.
The optimal school temperature is 68 to 73 degrees, according to the study.
Barnes emphasizes that while heat affects all children, it does not affect them equally. Young children, students with chronic health conditions or on certain
medications and student athletes are at higher risk. Students in under-resourced communities are more likely to attend schools with older buildings, inadequate cooling and less shade — and may also lack air conditioning at home, leaving them less able to recover overnight.
Rocky Mountain and Southwest states have seen some of the greatest increases in the number of heat days, according to research. Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Colorado have seen the greatest percentile increases in heat days among states in the Mountain West, according to the nonprofit Center for Climate Integrity.
The report urges school districts to adopt heat response plans if they don’t have one. That includes monitoring temperatures inside classrooms and buses, identifying the hottest buildings and rooms, setting protocols for recess and sports, and building in protections for vulnerable students and staff. Communication with families is another key recommendation.
“Heat has been hiding in plain sight as an education issue,” Barnes said. “It’s now a predictable condition that schools can plan for — just like snow, illness or other disruptions to learning.”
