Some Denver schools will close Thursday due to extreme heat.
With a high of 99 in the forecast, Park Hill Elementary School and Brown International Academy both announced they couldn’t safely open for Aug. 21.
“As you may be aware, we have been using a variety of measures to ensure our school stays open and our students feel comfortable during extremely hot days. Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of students and staff,” Park Hill administrators wrote to parents.
Denver’s public schools only reopened for the year this week. DPS didn’t immediately respond to a question about other closures.
Park Hill Elementary is one of the oldest schools in the system, dating to 1893, and isn’t fully air-conditioned. Brown and Park Hill are among roughly two dozen schools in the district without air conditioning, 9News reported.
Last year, Denver voters approved a bond package including $240 million to install or upgrade air conditioning across the school system. It will take until 2028 to complete all the upgrades, according to 9News.
