ST. LOUIS — The historic heat in the St. Louis area has affected multiple school districts during the first week of the 2023-24 academic year where dismissal times have been altered and students have had to be transferred due to electrical issues.

Thursday afternoon, St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) announced 13 bus routes could experience delays of up to two hours. The district says the drivers assigned to these routes called off after feeling the effects of driving five-hour days in the heat since Monday. 

The district and the bus company say they are working to cover the routes and also include alternate transportation. Impacted students will be held at school under supervision until their transport arrives. 

Earlier in the day, Pierre Laclede Elementary was without air conditioning, according to a Facebook post by SLPS.

Students and teachers were transferred to Stevens, a recently refurbished district facility, until cooling stations were set up at Laclede.

On Monday, SLPS started its first day with a power outage at Bush Middle School due to a transformer issue. Students were transported to nearby Nottingham High School until the end of the day. 

The Francis Howell School District has adjusted dismissal times for all middle and high schools for the rest of the week, Aug. 24-25, to allow bus drivers to stay safe during the extreme heat. 

The move came after a driver had a medical emergency at an elementary school Tuesday, according to an email sent to parents.

The district said the change to the schedule will allow bus drivers to have a short break between routes, giving them time to rehydrate and cool off.

Francis Howell School District mentioned that keeping drivers safe is important not only for their health, but the safety of the students. 

The dismissal change will have the middle and high schools dismissing 45 minutes earlier. There will be no change for other grade levels, early childhood programs and Vacation Station. 

Holt High School in the Wentzville School District was released at noon Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 23-24, because of rising temperatures in the building, according to the district’s Facebook posts. 

The record heat and humidity will continue to impact St. Louis through the rest of the week, which has also impacted school athletics.

To see how school districts are keeping track of the heat, click here. 

Some relief from the heat will arrive by the weekend.