Like residents, businesses and organizations, school systems statewide rely on Emergency Management Agencies and weather forecasters to give clear warnings when a dangerous storm is spiraling in their direction.Every school in Alabama is required by state law to perform drills, provide exit strategies and train students on severe weather procedures, but it is up to the individual systems on when the school doors should close and when students are evacuated.
After eight high school students were killed Thursday by a tornado that struck Enterprise High School, the decision on how, if, and when to close schools could be in question.
“All you can do is make the best educated decision with the information you have,” said Talladega County School System Deputy Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Lacey. “With the information we had here, the best decision was to release early and try to get everyone home and as safe as possible.”
Talladega County has had a long-standing policy to get students home in the event of bad weather, Lacey said, and along with Talladega city, Sylacauga city and Pell City school systems administrators decided to wrap up the school day at noon Thursday, but not before early hours of deliberation and discussion.
“We had the option or kind of the luxury of knowing it was going to be a bad day,” said Michael Barber, assistant superintendent for Pell City schools. “So we cancelled all of our after-school events right out of the gate. Field trips, practices, anything like that, we cancelled those first.”
Each system was briefed by their local EMAs, and administrators discussed the necessary obstacles, such as buses and transportation, and spoke among themselves on what each area thought was best.
“We try to work with neighboring school systems and see what they are doing,” said Doug Campbell, assistant superintendent for Talladega city schools. “We like to work with the other systems on those things.”
The decision is necessary and, most often, quite quick. Barber said bus routes and transportation times have to be considered if the schools do board up early.
“The longest bus route we have is an hour and a half,” he said. “After you dismiss you’re still going to have students on a bus traveling, so you have to consider the time it takes to get everyone home and make the decision to dismiss early enough for that as well.”
Buses are a risk, students driving their own cars are a risk and parents picking up students can be a risk, but once again, the decisions all depend on what time the eye of a storm is set to roll into the area.
In addition to high winds and flying objects, the Enterprise tornado brought the high school’s roof and one wall of the hallway down on top of students seeking shelter. But area school officials agreed that is something that can happen anywhere at anytime during a storm with no possible warning.
Once the decision was made, Sylacauga city school officials took Thursday’s threat as an opportunity to test a new communication system being offered to school systems across the country.
SchoolCast Communication System is one of many new messaging devices that schools can use to alert parents of an early dismissal as quickly as possible.
Kelly Lackey, student services coordinator for the system, said parents can visit the company Web site, designate how they would like to be contacted – e-mail, cell phone, pager, etc. – and the message will come directly to them. That way, as soon as the school knows the schedule plans for the day, so can the parents.
“We’re always trying to improve our communication systems and improve our ability to notify parents,” she said.
For mothers, fathers, grandparents and other caregivers, it can also be difficult to decide whether or not to pick up students. Barber said if school doesn’t close and students do shelter-in-place, parents are welcome to checkout their children or take shelter with them.
“Its instinctual to want to have your children with you and most of the time we can do that, but the schools are safe places to be.”
He said the schools have held students until 11 p.m. before because of weather situations, downed power lines, fallen trees and not wanting to send students home to empty houses during the day.
“Every time, you’re dealing with an impossible situation to predict. You just have to make the best decision at the time,” Barber said
Both Lacey and Campbell said their parents have always seemed to respect their judgment and trust the final call.
“We try to err on the side of caution,” Lacey said. “It is an inconvenience for everyone, but I think our parents are appreciative of our policy and us trying to take care of everyone.”
The common ground with each system is to make the best decision with the best information they have.
“Whether it’s ice, tornado, flooding or hurricanes like with Katrina, we’re going to make the best decision we can and try to keep the students as safe as possible,” Barber said. “Our hearts go out to everyone in Enterprise.”
