Local opinion: I’m excited my twins start pre-K this August, but deeply concerned about extreme heat

Last summer, I woke up one night in a pool of sweat. Our air conditioner broke, and our house felt like a sauna. I have three small children, so while I was figuring out how quickly I could get it repaired, I was also worried about their well-being as the temperature climbed.

As any mother does, I made sure to check their body temperature, make sure they’re breathing properly, and keep them hydrated if they’re sweating too much. The situation is beyond a minor inconvenience and can be downright scary.

We were lucky because we were able to get the system repaired fast and go on with our lives, but there are so many other Tucson families who could face similar circumstances and not have the means for a quick fix. And, as the Arizona summers keep getting hotter and hotter, the odds of facing situations like these also increase, not to mention the consequences that arise.

This August, my 4-year-old twins will attend school for the first time. Like every other parent dropping off their kid for their first day, I’m a bundle of excitement, pride, and nerves. I already have tissues in the car for the ride back home. However, there is a competing emotion weighing heavily on me that no parent should have to carry. I’m worried about extreme heat at school.

Yes, we live in Tucson, and we know heat, but what we’re experiencing is unprecedented. Tucson hit 100 degrees in March — the earliest in 133 years of recorded history. August temperatures are hitting 104 and higher several days in a row. The summer monsoons and rainy days that usually cool the desert heat seem to be far less frequent. This means that my 4-year-old kids, who need to run and play with other kids, will be going to school during the hottest weeks of the year.

If it’s over 100 degrees outside, recess is canceled. Going for a walk is out of the question, let alone a trip to the park. That begs another concern: what does that lack of movement and outdoor exposure do to children physically and developmentally? How does it affect their joy?

Beyond missed recess, extreme heat affects how their brains develop, how long they can focus, how quickly they pick up language, and for children with asthma, it can send them to the hospital. My twins are about to start learning the foundations of reading. I need the leaders representing our community to understand what's at stake.

My kids are the reason I’m a member of MamásConPoder. Being a part of this organization has empowered me to speak out on issues that impact families, which is why I’m here sounding the alarm about extreme heat in classrooms. Our families need federal leaders who treat this as the emergency it is right now. We can’t wait until the next legislative session because school has already begun and it’s not fair for parents to spend another August worried for their children's safety.

Action means funding for resilient air conditioning in schools, real protections for renters when cooling systems fail, and climate policy that takes seriously what is already happening in communities like ours.

It’s my twins’ first year in school, and I want them to thrive. I want them to make friends, to paint pictures, and to come home with dusty shoes and pockets full of rocks, exhausted in the best possible way– not because of extreme heat. That isn’t too much to ask for.