Heatwave Forces School Closures in Multiple U.S. Cities

High temperatures have forced school closures in several US cities, including Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Grand Rapids, renewing concerns about aging infrastructure amid climate change. In Pittsburgh, 40 schools shifted to remote learning, while in Grand Rapids, administrators canceled school for the remainder of the week. Poorly cooled or heated school buildings in the US is an intensifying worry as more school districts are grappling with aging infrastructure and the effects of climate change. A report in 2020 from the US Government Accountability Office concluded that roughly 41 percent of school districts need to update or replace heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems in at least half of their schools.