LEWISTON — Outside, the temperature was 93.

Inside the Martel Elementary Elementary School Tuesday, Joshua Soucy, 9, broke out in a sweat as if he had just gotten out of gym. But, like other students, the fourth-grader was just sitting at his desk.

“It’s hot,” Soucy said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I have to concentrate really hard to pay attention.”

With most schools in Maine not air conditioned, a heat wave is making back-to-school challenging, students, teachers and administrators said Tuesday.

Monday, the first day of school for Lewiston-Auburn, was warm. Tuesday it got hot, and temperatures in the low 90s are expected to continue until Friday, when Hurricane Earl could bring some rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Kimble said.

“We have all experienced hot days during the fall. What’s unusual is to have a forecast of four days in succession that are going to be this hot,” said Auburn School Superintendent Tom Morrill. That many days of heat makes it tough to cool down buildings, he said. “When you have 20 to 25 kids in a room all at 98.6 degrees, you’ve got the makings for a hot room.”

Martel second-grade teachers Donna Norcross and Robin Desjardins agreed. “When we come in the morning, it’s already hot,” Norcross said.

That makes it hard to teach, they said. Students lay their heads on their desks, stare at the water fountain, inch over to get in front of the fan. More students than normal have complained about headaches or stomach aches, they said.

Things weren’t any better at Auburn’s Edward Little High School.

“It’s terrible. We need air conditioning,” Assistant Principal Steve Galway said. “It’s very hot, very humid.”

Tuesday was the first day that all high school students attended classess. That required assemblies in the gym. So many bodies in one space made the gym warmer, Galway said.

He ticked off spots in the building that were extra warm. “The cafeteria, there’s no windows. It’s even worse in there. And all the classes on the second floor. Heat rises.

“There’s no cool spot in the building.” Because the high school has little if any insulation, “the way it is outside is the way it is inside. This building stays hot all the time,” Galway said.

High school teachers were going over expectations, tests and quizzes, “but the heat makes it very challenging to focus,” Galway said. “We’re trying to do as best we can. By the end of the week, the staff and students will be dragging.”

Some Auburn schools do have air conditioning, Morrill said. Those include Park Avenue, Sherwood Heights and East Auburn. A section of Fairview has humidity control, which does improve comfort, Morrill said. “We know other places are extremely hot.”

Until the heat wave ends, teachers are using common sense making sure students stay hydrated and are on alert for any signs they’re becoming extremely warm and could need medical attention, Morrill said. “People are doing things like using fans, pulling their shades,” keeping students indoors or if they go outside, keeping them in the shade.

Coaches and athletic directors are being extra careful with student athletes, Morrill said. Practice and games are being monitored, sometimes altered.

Lewiston Superintendent Leon Levesque said schools are using electric fans, allowing students to take breaks and carry water bottles. Being outside in the sun in the heat can be unbearable, Levesque said, adding that teachers and administrators are using their judgment to keep students as comfortable as possible.

Levesque said he was in the schools Monday and Tuesday. “It’s uncomfortable.” These are the dog days of summer, he said. “Most of the upper levels get warmer than the lower. But the mail is still being delivered.”

While Maine has snow days, there is no such thing as a heat day, educators said.

Martel fourth-grade teachers gave their students a break from the warmer third-floor classes Tuesday afternoon. Students sat on the floor enjoying Popsicles. “We’re having a Popsicle break,” teacher Andrea Bail said.

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Heat warnings

Heat exhaustion and stroke can happen when the temperature reaches 90 and above, according to the American Red Cross. Everyone is at risk at 90 degrees and above, and young children and the elderly are especially at risk.

Heat-related illnesses can include serious injury and death of unattended. Signs of heat-related sickness include nausea, dizziness, flushed or pale skin, heavy sweating and headaches. Victims of heat-related illness should be moved to a cool place, given cool water to drink and ice packs or cool wet clothes applied to the skin, according to the American Red Cross.

Until the heat passes, physical activity should be restricted.

Several teachers said Tuesday some students wore new back-to-school outfits, including long pants, in the heat. They recommend saving those clothes for after the heat wave. Students should be dressed for the heat: shorts and sleeveless or short-sleeved, lose tops.

Students should be sent to school with plenty of bottled water.

The Environmental Protection Agency is predicting poor air on Wednesday and Thursday, and warned that exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause serious breathing problems, aggravate asthma and other lung-related problems.

With the demand for electricity rising, the EPA is recommending employers ask workers to dress casually, turn off unnecessary lights and computers, turn air conditioners to a higher temperature setting, and defer using appliances, like washers and dryers, until night. The public can help reduce ozone smog by driving less, refueling vehicles at night. When getting gas during the day the sun can cook the vapors and form ozone. Also avoid using gasoline powered engines, such as lawn mowers.