Samantha Rosado-Ciriello, president of the Yonkers Federation of Teachers, praised Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing legislation that protects students and teachers from uncomfortably hot learning environments.

The law established 88 degrees as the maximum temperature in classrooms and support service spaces. If these areas exceed 88 degrees, districts are required to create a plan that removes and relocates students and staff from them when it's practical for the district to do so.

"I'm so excited that our students are finally getting a holiday gift that provides them with humane conditions," Rosado-Ciriello said. "Many of our buildings are over 100 years old…some of our classrooms can get to 90 or even 100 degrees, or even over 100 degrees at times."

The Yonkers Council of PTA/PTSA's also celebrated the law.

They put out a statement on Facebook stating that the legislation is a "major victory" for the students and is a step toward making sure that learning environments are set up for everyone's academic success.