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Baltimore Co. Board of Ed. Changes Air Conditioning Policy

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--Only one week into the school year and the Baltimore County Board of Education changes its own heat policy.

In an amendment voted on during a school board meeting on Tuesday night, kids will now have to go to school if the heat index fails to hit 90 degrees by 11:00 a.m.

The decision comes amid growing frustration due to the county's old policy, which required 37 schools to shut their doors if the heat index goes above 90 degrees for any part of the day.

RELATEDParents Call For Portable AC Units For Baltimore County Schools

But some believe the original plan backfired. Just a week into the year those 37 schools without air conditioning had to close twice.

"If there are days that aren't being made up, then the other middle schools are going to have an advantage over our school," said Willis Morales.

"We should try out best to keep the children in school for as much of the time as we possibly can," said school board member Michael Collins.

RELATEDParents Steaming Over No A\C In 37 Baltimore Co. Schools

Also part of the amendment: if the heat index is expected to reach 90 degrees by 3pm parents will have the option to keep their kids home and mark it as an excused absence.

"If I take him out of school he's still going to miss out because the class is still going to be going," said one parent.

Many people believe the issue of hot classrooms could be avoided if school starts after Labor Day.

Governor Hogan is expected to make an announcement regarding school start times tomorrow.

Out of the 173 schools in the district, only 37 of them have no air conditioning.

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