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Benchmark – Adverse Situations

Joe W. Altmiller

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-536-O500: Strategic Leadership and Management in the Principalship

Dr. Michael Sollitto

April 5, 2023
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Summary

Sunset Hills School is a school in Arizona that has a student population of 800 students,

and I am the principal. It is ninety-eight degrees outside, and the school's air conditioning is

failing, and classrooms are getting warmer and warmer. At noon I received word that the air

conditioning had failed. Walking through the school, students are trying to stay cool by using

paper fans. The end of the school day is not till 3:45. Decisions will need to be made to keep

students safe

Management and Operational Systems (B)

Managing this situation, several important decisions must be made. First, I must

communicate with the maintenance team and find out if the air conditioning can be fixed

quickly. If the air conditioning cannot be repaired quickly will the building become unsafely hot?

The options seem limited and could mean a school closure for the remainder of the day. If the air

conditioning is not repaired to save the rest this school day will the air conditioning be repaired

in a timely manner so we can have school tomorrow? How is it best to communicate with the

stakeholders of my school for students to be picked up or bussed home? Do I have any safe area

for students to be while awaiting parents who were not immediately available to pick up their

student? What district policies and guidelines are there concerning the safe temperatures in

Arizona schools?

Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources (B)

First, I need to communicate with the staff and make sure that everyone is aware of the

problems and that a solution is being investigated. If the only action involves early dismissal the

staff will become an army of phone callers and emailers communicating with parents, ensuring

that everyone is aware of emergency. Robocalling can be utilized from the school student
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information system is another way of communicating the information home. Also, the update

will be communicated through Flash Alert, an app used for emergencies statewide (Eugene

Christian School, 2022). Office and custodial staff can help distribute water to the classrooms to

mitigate any issues until a solution is found.

Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff (B)

Arizona Administrative Code § 7-6-213 (2023) states that a school facility shall have

an HVAC or other system capable of maintaining a temperature between 68° and 82°

F under normal conditions with an occupied classroom. The maintenance team will

need to closely monitor the building and classroom temperature to ensure compliance

with the Arizona Administrative Code.

Where I live and work in Oregon, we do not have excessive heat as a concern.

Our school does not have a district to get guidance from. Our Head of School works

with the school board to make any decisions, especially around the safety of our

students. Our concerns are either forest fires and then the safety of our students

breathing safely when the smoke is blown into the Willamette Valley or the

occasionally snow day.

Collaboration with Faculty and Community (B)

Stakeholders in this case are the students, teacher, parents, school support personnel,

maintenance team, administration, and the district office. The district office will be a key player

in decision making as they are usually the ones who decide on school closures. The maintenance

team will be another stakeholder providing clear information concerning the status of the air

conditioning system and building temperatures.

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Solution and Rationale (B)

Excessive heat impairs the brain’s functioning and makes it harder for students to learn

(Preston, 2022). The solutions that are available:

 Initiate a two-hour early dismissal for the school. Using the robocall from the student

information system, Flash Alert, and personalized phone calls from teachers

concerning updated bus schedules and timing.

 Move forward with the day as scheduled. Provide fans and water to the students and

staff, keeping a close eye on the building temperatures.

 Do nothing and hope the maintenance team gets the air conditioning fixed.

Action steps to successfully navigate the excessive heat situation in Sunset School:

1. Communicate with the maintenance team and get a clear picture of what is wrong and

a timeline for repairs to be completed.

2. Communicate with the staff concerning the excessive heat emergency, have them

monitor classroom temperatures.

3. Consult with the district student safety team. Suggest a two-hour early dismissal.

4. Distribute card stock to make fans from and water to classrooms.

5. Communicate the Flash Alert team of the two-hour early dismissal, initiate the

student information system robocalls, classroom teachers prepare students for the

early dismissal, and have classroom teachers make personal phone calls home to each

family of students under their care.

6. Determine a safe area for students to wait for if their parents cannot arrive promptly

at 1:45 pm.
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7. Work with the maintenance team and district supervisors to determine the next steps

in the air conditioning repair. Can school open the following day? If not communicate

through the same channels.

Professional Standards for Educational Leaders standard 5a states the effective educational

leaders build and maintain a safe, caring, and healthy school environment that meets the

academic, social emotional, and physical needs of each student (National Policy Board for

Educational Administration, 2015). After reviewing the information and consulting with the

district office, I would choose my first solution and enact a two-hour early dismissal. We are

already close to the end of the school day and dismissing the students two hours early will get the

students out of the school building before the heat becomes unbearable. This solution gives a

minimum of time to communicate with the students' families and the necessary teams that

support the school with busing. Doing nothing or hoping the air conditioning will be repaired in

time to save the rest of the school day does not seem realistic, nor does it promote school safety.

Excessive heat is dangerous for the human body. We will begin to make sure that every

classroom has water and fans to make life a bit easier.

It’s not just affecting the physical health of our students but also the mental health of our

students too (Preston, 2022). I’ve had students talk to me about how it is hard to concentrate in

class when they are trying to find any and all means to stay cool (Preston, 2022). With these

thoughts in mind, I am complying with the Arizona Administrative Code and keeping students

safe. By enacting the early release, the school can get students home safely.
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References

Casetext Inc. (2023). Ariz. Admin. Code § 7-6-213. https://casetext.com/regulation/arizona-

administrative-code/title-7-education/chapter-6-school-facilities-oversight-board/article-

2-minimum-school-facility-guidelines/section-r7-6-213-classroom-temperature

Eugene Christian School. (2022). Student parent handbook.

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders. Author.

Preston, C. (2022). Canceled classes, sweltering classrooms: how extreme heat impairs learning.

The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/canceled-classes-sweltering-

classrooms-how-extreme-heat-impairs-learning/