Baltimore Schools Close After Unheated Classrooms Hit 40 Degrees

The Baltimore City Public School (BCPS) system has come under fire Tuesday as pictures that had surfaced online depicted school-aged children bundling up in winter coats and gloves while they shivered in unheated classrooms.

Baltimore-area schools closed Thursday after the city's teachers complained of the "unfair and inhumane" conditions as indoor temperatures hovered around the 40s. Only four of Baltimore's schools were closed Wednesday due to the frigid cold, whereas students in two others received an early dismissal, according to Salon.

"I implore that you close schools in the District until your facilities crew has had time to properly assess and fix the heating issues within the affected schools in Baltimore City," said Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English in a letter for the school system's CEO Wednesday, according to The Baltimore Sun. "This is the best way to ensure the safety of our members and our children."

The school system's higher-ups addressed the conditions Tuesday, which acknowledged that the cold weather has "put a strain on many of our school buildings" over the past several days.

"We want students to have every possible opportunity for teaching and learning, and we also want to make sure that students can get the services and supports that many families rely on — for example, warm meals and before and after-school care," Alison Perkins-Cohen, BCPS chief of staff, wrote in a statement. "This means that we keep school buildings open, even when conditions are sometimes less than ideal. We have many schools with leaky windows and outdated heating systems that have a hard time keeping up."

Indoor temperatures grew so cold that one student alleged that she couldn't feel her feet. Several other students, however, said they could see their breath inside.

A GoFundMe page was created Wednesday by Samierra Jones, a senior at Coppin State University and a graduate of the BCPS system, as a way to provide financial assistance to the problem. Jones' fundraiser, while not affiliated with the BCPS system, has reeled in more than $25,600 to date.

"Students are still required to attend classes that are freezing and expected [to] wear their coats to assist in keeping them warm," Jones wrote on the fundraiser's page. "How can you teach a child in these conditions? This fundraiser will help in purchasing space heaters and outerwear to assist in keeping these students warm."

"We will remain as transparent as possible with the public to let them know what has been purchased," Jones added.