So Kids Were Forced to Attend School With No Heat, and People Aren't Happy About It

Although many parts of the country bundled up to kick off the year in subfreezing temperatures, the cold spell extended well into the school day for children in Baltimore. Students attending several public schools were forced to go to school on Jan. 2 despite the buildings' lack of heat and burst pipes. And there's no exaggeration when it comes to the temperature. It didn't exceed 40 degrees in a single classroom. And if you combine the low temps with the long hours of a normal school day, you get a whole lot of angry adults. And frankly, we don't blame them. There are only so many layers kids can be expected to wear, right?

According to The Baltimore Sun, the teachers union was more than vocal about the frigid conditions. "I implore that you close schools in the District until your facilities crew has had time to properly assess and fix the heating issues within the affected schools in Baltimore City," said Marietta English, the president of the Baltimore Teachers Union, in a letter sent to the Baltimore School District's CEO on Jan 2.

Thankfully, the schools that were still having issues with their heat decided to close the following day, but that didn't stop locals from doing something about the chilling situation. Samierra Jones, a senior at Coppin State University and former student in the district, started a GoFundMe campaign upon hearing the news. The fundraiser was started to get public school classrooms the space heaters they desperately need by raising $20,000. Samierra explained why the cause is so important on the fundraiser's page, writing, "Students are still required to attend classes that are freezing and expected wear their coats to assist in keeping them warm. How can you teach a child in these conditions?"

Good point.

Aaron Corbin, a former NFL player and elementary school teacher in Baltimore, took to social media to help get the word out. He shared a video on Twitter showing just how cold it was in the classroom:

The GoFundMe was a success almost instantaneously, with $27,212 having been raised so far. We wish the diligent students and teachers the best of luck this winter!