BATAVIA – Batavia High School junior Jessica Witkowski and her friends Tuesday morning decided to cool off by eating their lunch outside the school.
The school has been without air conditioning since Monday morning after motors burned out in the system's cooling towers.
"It's so hot that it's hard to stay focused," Witkowski said.
Fellow junior Eleana Daniel said her math class was moved to the high school's cafetorium Monday because the classroom was too hot.
The building and grounds department and contractors have been working the past two days to repair the system, said Chip Hickman, Batavia High School's associate principal.
"We would like to get it repaired as soon as possible, hopefully within the next couple of days," Hickman said.
With the air conditioning out, the high school is 10 to 15 degrees hotter than normal. The area is experiencing summer-like temperatures this week.
"Normally, we like to be between 68 and 72 degrees," Hickman said.
"It is not a dangerous situation. We are still pumping fresh air in the classes, but we are not pumping cool fresh air. We didn't need air three weeks ago."
Hickman sent a mass e-mail to high school parents on Monday to apprise them of the situation and encourage the students to keep hydrated and wear appropriate attire.
"We are using the situation as a teachable moment to show the importance of hydration," Hickman said.
