SOUTHINGTON -- Elementary schools released students early Monday because they don't have air conditioning.
Students told FOX61 that some classrooms had fans, but both parents and students agree that getting out of school early was the right call to make.
"It was really hot," said Jaimeson Mcvicker, a third grader at Hatton Elementary School.
Schools are still one of the few places without air conditioning. Teachers bring in their own fans and students bring water. But, it's not enough to keep them in school well into the afternoon.
"We can't even really put window air conditioning units in those schools because the infrastructure there just wont support it," said Superintendent of Southington Schools, Tim Connellan. "So, we thought it was important to get the elementary students out."
Southington schools were originally supposed to get out of school June 12. Now they're getting out on June 21st.
"Even the fact that you get into late June or early September, we've had some really warm weather," said Connellan.
Southington's middle and high schools have air conditioning.
The high school is on a final exam schedule, so they ended school at 12:30. Middle schoolers went for a full day.
"We try to use common sense make sure that folks are not in a situation that's really uncomfortable for them," said Connellan.
Getting out of school early disrupts a family's schedule for the day, often leaving parents scrambling for other options of getting their kids home. Sometimes they rely on their own parents.
"It's earlier than we planned, but it's not really an inconvenience for us. Not like it would be for the moms and dads," Robert Wittneben said.
School districts like Southington are working on putting air conditioning into schools, but it's not always an issue at the top of a school district's to-do list because of the high cost.