Freezing cold in one room, blazing hot in another, RHS students and teachers have become annoyed with the severe temperature fluctuations inside the school.

The average day of an RHS student involves seven classroom changes, going from the boiling gym locker rooms to the icy lair that are the first floor classrooms. This makes it difficult for students to adjust and focus, especially since there is no way of knowing what the classroom climate will be prior to walking into the room.

RHS is not the only school in MCPS with a temperature problem. US history and AP world history teacher Heidi Hemming said, “My daughter, who goes to an MCPS high school, has one classroom that’s so cold that the teacher has a place where everybody has brought blankets so a�� people can go and get their blankets whenever it gets cold.”

The easy answer to this temperature problem would be to bring a sweater or jacket to school; however, many students choose not to do so because extra clothing only adds bulk to already filled backpacks. Also, they can be easily forgotten and lost in the chaos that is created once the bell rings.

Outside of the classrooms, the gym seems to be the warmest before, during and after the school day. Sophomore Valerie Jones, who is on the varsity volleyball team, said, “I spend two hours in the gym for practice and it’s way too hot in there for an efficient practice. Then we are expected to perform well at games, but it’s still too hot a��. It’s unfair to the players and the spectators.”

The gym happens to be the hottest room in the school because of the continuous amount of movement inside the room and because it is the only room in the school that is not air-conditioned. This is due to the lack of funding. A ridiculous thought since without air-conditioning, students coming from gym classes are forced to go through the rest of the day, sweaty, tired and easily distracted.

Despite the average humidity levels of 50%, the average temperature of at least 85 degrees in the locker rooms and the icy breeze coming from under the math hall computer lab’s door, little action has been taken.

RHS Building Services Manager Vernon Austin Jr. said, “The temperature range inside the school is set to be between 68 and 72 a�� it’s just designed that way to accommodate more people.”