Just over a week ago our area experienced a fast-moving winter storm. In my role as Assistant Superintendent, I spent the morning (while the weather was still ok) checking out forecasts, checking in with other area districts on their plans, and discussing our plan with the Superintendent and our bus contractors. Things seemed to be holding steady and in good shape until about a 3 minute stretch of time around 1:15. In that three minutes, we went from dry with excellent road conditions to icy with very slick roads and sidewalks. That three minutes of frozen precipitation set off a long afternoon/evening of work for all of us in the district.
Almost immediately after that three minutes, we made the decision to dismiss school early. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish we would have made that decision earlier. It would take about an hour for bus drivers to get in, complete pre-trip inspections, and get to schools to pick up the kids. We set the dismissal plans in motion and began working to get kids home safely. It would take about 6 hours to do so, but ultimately we succeeded.
This couldn't have happened without the dedication, caring, and hard work of many, many groups of people. First and foremost, our bus drivers worked diligently to get students home safely. We had some slide offs and places we couldn't get to, but every student got to a warm house for the night. Many of the drivers worked supervising, driving, and caring for kids until late into the evening. Our bus company owners worked tirelessly too - getting stuck buses moving again and delivering students home in 4-wheel drive vehicles when a bus couldn't get them home. Many of our students had to wait at school for quite some time for a parent to get them or for one of those 4 wheel drive rides. These students were cared for by secretaries and administrators until they were all safely delivered home. Central office staff members spent the evening receiving and making phone calls in an effort to keep parents up to date on the progress of their child's bus. The list could go on and on.
It was not an easy night. Not for school employees, bus drivers, students, or parents. But, ultimately, every child - over 2,300 of them - made it to their destination safely. If you see a bus driver, secretary, principal, or other person that works with kids in any way, take some time to say 'Thank You' for all the hours they put in during times of difficulty and in times when things are going well. It is these individuals that make sure our kids - our future - are well taken care of each day.
So from me to all the employees of our district and our bus contractor - THANK YOU for a job well done in a difficult situation. Your efforts did not go unnoticed.
