|
|
SUPERINTENDENT'S |
December, 2006
Rick Gantman, Superintendent
Inclement Weather and Student Safety—The stormy weather this fall has been interesting to say the least! We have had floods, wind, power outages, and snow; and it is not even winter yet! Often Tim Yeomans Frank Cain and I find ourselves having to make decisions about school operations and transportation. Our decisions are always focused on the safety of our students. The decision to close schools on November 27th was easy; it was obvious that the record breaking storm made the roads unsafe for any vehicles. Whenever possible, the decision to close school or for a late start is made the night before. Once the decision is made we contact the media, post the notice on our website, place a message on our school operations phone line, and activate our staff phone trees. If the decision is not obvious the night before, the decision is made by 5:45 AM and the same notification procedure is followed.
A much more difficult situation is when children are in school and the decision must be made whether to keep them in school or to send them home early. The safety guideline that is followed when school is already in session is to keep children in school where they are safe while we organize safe transportation and supervision. In the unfortunate event that we MUST close school early it is essential that every home have a detailed emergency plan for children to ensure they will have a safe and supervised place to go to even if their parent/guardian cannot make it home. Please make sure to read Tim Yeomans' article about your family’s emergency plans. Also, make sure you see the calendar changes that have been made to make up the school days that were cancelled.
This is a good time to also remind you of our Weather and Operations Line—383-2070. This is a recording-only line that handles several calls simultaneously. It is updated daily and sometimes hourly during inclement weather when school schedule changes are necessary. As well, our school website at www.mtbaker.wednet.edu is updated on an as-needed basis during inclement weather
As always, please give me a call if you would like to discuss this or any other topic. You can reach me at 383-2000.
~Rick Gantman~
