52 Philly schools will operate virtually because of the heat Friday

About a quarter of the Philadelphia School District’s schools will pivot to virtual instruction Friday as temperatures soar.

“The Philadelphia region is experiencing another week of higher than normal temperatures,“ Oz Hill, the district’s deputy superintendent for operations, said in a letter sent to families Thursday. ”And while the district has made significant progress toward ensuring our schools are adequately cooled in order to provide safe and comfortable learning environments, there are still a number of schools with inadequate cooling systems.”

Fifty-two unair-conditioned schools will be closed for in-person learning, with after-school activities also closed. Scheduled field trips will still happen, Hill said.

The majority of district schools have adequate cooling and will remain open.

It is not the first time this school year Philadelphia schools have closed because of the heat — some were closed for two days in May during an early heat wave.

The schools that will be closed for in-person learning Friday are: