This is how not to handle an emergency.
If ever there was a manual on how not to do things, the way that Veterans Memorial High School administrators under Principal Mary Solis handled the power outage caused by a downed electric transformer at the corner of Alton Gloor and Military Highway would be the blue print.
Apparently, when the students got there in the morning the school (and Villa Nueva Elementary School) was without electric power. But it wasn't until almost noon that the administration decided to let the students call their parents to pick them up.
Well, you can imagine the clusterf-ck.
There were cars waiting on Military highway almost two miles into town and the line into the school overcrowding the parking lot. On top of that, parents could not just pick up the students, but had to form another line to get a pass to get past the security guards outside the gates.
BISD administrators say the car broke the power pole at 3 a.m. Thursday and crews were working all morning trying to restore power. The school administrators – instead of sending the students back on the buses they came or with their parents – instead held them until they decided to let them go home after 11 a.m.
That's when the fun began.Security guards would not allow the students to leave with their parents unless they had a pass from the school. So after the parents worked their way through the 2-mile line on Military, they had to form another line in front of the school to get the pass and the students.
At about 11, the BISD administrators decided to call off school and send the school buses to pick them up. However, since the buses would get stuck in the traffic jam, the drivers had to go all the way around Olmito to come in through the west side of the school.
In the end, this, a problem that could have been avoided, ended up causing untold grief to parents, students and motorists on teh highway. Imagine if there had been a fire or medical emergency or even worse, some kind of shootout. Heaven help us, because the BISD administration can't.
8 comments:
Since you have a concern about the emergency situation at VM High School. Why don't you enlighten your readers and perhaps the school administration on how this situation could have been avoided. Given all possible factors including ADA, parents not at home, liability of students being release from school, transportation request, overtime for personnel, communication with main office personnel and utility company, etc. Anybody had be quick to criticize any situation but can they assist in solving the problem.
Ask yourself - is Mary Solis the ultimate decision maker, or does she have a boss or bosses (area supt., superintendent, board members, etc.) Everyone knows BISD is micro-managed by board members and the supt.
I'm not sure who was making the decisions, but let's not jump to conclusions either.
She is not the big chief. She has several chiefs over her.
They waited so they wouldn't lose out on attendance.
like always....never prepared for scenarios of evacuation...lots of confusion and chaos. wait, but of course we hire the big honchos at the top to think for us little people and this is what we get.... Thank you Top Dolla Administration! A+
By the way Juan, where is the Juarez guy? Any one seen him at the BISD hallways? Did he cash out already?
Don't blame VMHS administration. They followed directives from the glass palace.
WHERE WAS ( BIG CHIEF ) WORK IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME ?
Juan students were released after 11 am so bisd could collect the daily allotment by the state its not about safety or concern its abt the benjamins
Juan, if your so concerned for the student why don't you get Ben Neece to intervene and get all charges dismissed as a civic duty?
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