School districts around Milwaukee brace for extreme heat
By Caroline Reinwald
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — School districts in the Milwaukee region are bracing for the extreme heat expected later this week.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the heat index is expected to reach triple digits for the first time since 2019. An excessive heat watch will be in effect for all Wisconsin counties Wednesday through Thursday.
On Monday, Milwaukee Public Schools told staff and families it will be keeping an eye on the weather throughout the week. The district issued the following message on Monday:
“An excessive heat watch will be in effect for all Wisconsin counties from 11:00 AM on Wednesday, August 23, through 8:00 PM on Thursday, August 24, 2023. For the safety of all MPS students and staff, we are watching the forecast closely. We will alert families as soon as possible if any changes will be made to school or program schedules.”
Mt. Olive Christian Day School in the Washington Heights neighborhood pushed its first day of school back to Friday because of the heat. Teachers told WISN 12 News the air conditioning can only be used on the top level of the building, currently.
At Whitefish Bay High School, head football coach, Jacob Wolter, said they were also preparing for the heat by adjusting their practice and game schedules this week.
“We’re hoping to get our practice done on Wednesday, early in the morning or later night, try to get it done before it gets really hot,” Wolter said. “We’re trying to stay off that field, especially the turf gets hotter than the normal temperature. So, if it’s 97 degrees, it’s probably about 100, 110 degrees on the field.”
“The big thing is getting good sleep and hydrating these kids, because if you want to drink the water during the day, it’s probably too late. So you’ve got to get ahead of the game and talk to them before, at the beginning of the week, make sure they’re getting hydrated and then give them a lot of breaks,” Wolter said.
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