Don’t Try to Save Your Kid From Tornado
The Highland Park ISD just sent out the following:
During the severe weather we are experiencing, all campuses are sheltering students in place.
Please do not pick up your students early, as they are safe on campus. We will continue to monitor the weather and to take steps to keep students and staff safe until the severe weather has passed.
Current weather alerts have a tornado warning in the area until 2:20 p.m. We will send another announcement when the tornado warning is no longer in effect and children are cleared to leave campus.
I picked up kids at UP and MIS-both schools handled this perfectly. Glad our faculty knew what to do today, and thankful it wasn’t more severe.
Email: 2:45 from HPISD – kids to be released on time.
Text from Son 2:59 – “we aren’t being released on time”
3:30ish – leaving garage and HP sirens going off again??
Had friend sitting in carpool line with sirens going off around them…
Also heard from that same parent that they gave the kids 15 minutes to leave the building – but the cars on High School backed up to Mockingbird? Traffic was horrendous – more so that normal.
HPISD gets a “D-” on handling of this weather issue – didn’t give them an “F” because (presumably) nobody got hurt.
I picked up kids at Bradfield & HPHS — all good. But HPMS was another matter. I found my 12 year old wandering outside in the pouring rain with lightening flashing and sirens blaring. And believe me he wasn’t the only one. Kids were all over the place. Tornado warning was in effect. No reception on cell phones so no chance of getting in touch with my child. SMU just to the east had alerted college students to shelter. But middle schoolers were just turned loose. Given the total irresponsibility of school administrators, I wish that I had picked up my kid early. Would have been a lot safer.
Bradfield was shockingly easy pick-up at 3 yesterday. Would be nice if HPISD had an emergency text system, rather than email, to alert parents. I didn’t get the HPISD email because when you sign up for the various newsletters during registration I must not have checked the correct box. An option like “text message in case of campus emergencies” during registration would be great!
Yes, panicked when sirens went off around 3:30 and worried my high schooler was making the long treck to her car. Texted her to not leave the building … but HPHS did not release the kids until well after 3:45, thankfully!!!
The elementary schools handled it well but the middle school was another matter. The weather forecasters showed a storm south of downtown that was moving north. Yet the district sent an email that they would release the students. I went immediately to the middle school and was stuck in a long carpool line. Then, when they opened the doors the children spilled out and the torrential rain and sirens re-started.
It would have been much safer to keep the children until the storms had passed. This was a dangerous situation for the drivers and children and would have been tragic if tornadoes had passed through the Park Cities.
Cell service issues around MIS/HPMS, always a nuisance, has definitely become a SAFETY ISSUE after Tuesday’s debacle. Those backed up to Mockingbird could not get messages to their kids to let them know of the massive delay in getting even remotely close to the school. NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY HPISD!!
PS – where was HPDPS and UPDPS in this traffic nightmare during a significant weather event? This school houses over 2000 kids – what could be more important than the safety of such a vulnerable population? Nothing worse than crazed, worried parents in SUVs trying to get to their kids – people driving on the wrong side of the road, driving down alleys, making u-turns in the middle of the block…
@Chaos, your question about … “Where were the HP-DPS?” My answer: Probably at Whole Foods in HP walking around.
During both ice storm emergencies in the past in N. Texas, HP officers have been on the clock at Whole Foods working in the store. It’s sad.
I received an e-mail from Blue Zone news just as the tornado going up around 35 was approaching south Dallas. I only heard the tornado sirens for a “short time.” I first sent an immediate e-mail back trying to suggest to keep the alarms going, and received an automated response. What’s up with that? I then sent an e-mail to the HP community relations dept. suggesting to get the sirens turned back on. No responses or heard any tornado sirens.
I’ve been trying to tell folks our emergency system has been the pits for a very long time, and, it still is a disgrace. I don’t know what it will take to wake folks up about how things are run at town hall.
Next time HP town hall,….. please keep the sirens going. When cell phones go out and satellite, or possibly the electricity…it would be nice to have some type of warning going by the town. I recall the news reporting between 6 to 16 tornadoes were swirling around in N. Texas.
My opinion as a resident.
I think the HPDPS officers at Whole Foods are paid by Whole Foods and work there on their days off… Correct me if I am wrong about that.
My point is “Chaos” (and kindly said), when our town has emergencies, it is odd that any HP officer would be in a grocer on anyone’s clock, period (unless there was a problem requiring the police).
Let’s say an HP officer was working at a local grocer on his or her day off. Why would that even happen when there is a area wide emergency (and I speak about past ice storms) and folks may need help.
Looking at what you said above about… where were the UP and HP DPS in the traffic nightmare during a significant weather event?…. highlights my point.
It’s backward HP administrative policy. Thanks for your question.