CEDAR RAPIDS- The heat was back Tuesday in Eastern Iowa and many school districts called it an early day. In fact, more than 50 Eastern Iowa districts called TV9 during the day to announce early dismissals due to hot weather.

But Cedar Rapids, as a district, won't routinely dismiss early due to heat anymore. That's because improvement projects over the years have brought air conditioning to practically every classroom in the district.

Still, there are some big exceptions to that rule and students and teachers who will just have to swelter for a few more years.

Two examples are Jefferson and Washington high schools. On this hot day, temperatures inside classrooms at Jefferson topped out at over 90 degrees. About 80 percent of the space inside this 50-year-old school remains without air conditioning.

One teacher, Sean Neilly, said "I understand the need to air condition other buildings, but it would have been nice if we'd had air conditioning at some point."

Teachers at schools without central cooling can purchase window air conditioners for their classrooms. Susan Covington at Jefferson spent nearly $500 on one for her room this summer. The district will install it for free, but then the unit belongs to the school. Still,Covington said it was a fair trade adding "I wish I had done it 10 years ago, I wish I had, it was money well spent."

Ironically, several of the Cedar Rapids district's oldest schools, like 80-year-old Franklin Middle School, have the most modern cooling systems. Whole building geo-thermal units were installed about five years ago. Every classroom even has a sensor to adjust temperature automatically.

Both Jefferson and Washington will eventually get major upgrades including a geo-thermal heating and cooling system for the whole building. The money will come from the one cent local option tax for schools that began July 1st. But the schedule won't call for cooling relief for those two high schools until five or six years from now.

School officials say while the district as a whole will no longer declare early dismissals due to heat, it is possible that individual schools without significant air conditioning can send students home early if conditions become too miserable. However, that situation hasn't happened yet.