But at Coit Elementary School, students must cope with the climate outside, even when they're inside. It all depends upon the day of the week and the direction of the wind. And neither do the children. You can't think well and your hands start shaking. Poor insulation only makes it worse.
Teachers chart the rising mercury with thermometers in their classrooms.
So on Mondays, kids are eating lunch in their coats, school workers are wearing gloves and distributing extra clothes to kids who need to stay warm. By Fridays, it's almost tropical. In this case, at least part of the responsibility rests with local voters, three-quarters of whom have no school age children. Although taxpayers say they are concerned about schools, they have repeatedly shot down bond measures that would provide extra funding. So the teachers and students at Coit make do.