Verona superintendent apologizes for confusion during manhunt lockdown

George Hesselberg:

Some Verona grade school boys may remember the "hard lockdown" Thursday at their elementary school as the day they got to pee in a bucket in a janitor's closet.

Verona Area School District Superintendent Dean Gorrell emailed a frank letter of apology to parents Friday for "not having adequate (or any) communication" about the lockdown while authorities searched for a dangerous suspect nearby.

As for the boys and their temporary bathrooms, that was simply a matter of protocol, safety and expedience, as the elementary school gymnasium where staff and students were under lockdown has no immediate access to bathrooms.

Gorrell said he had received no complaints about that as of Friday afternoon. The children were not allowed to go to bathrooms outside of the gym because it would have required their presence in a hallway, and staff "made provisions for students to relieve themselves in private," he said.

On the topic of communication to parents and others about the lockdown, Gorrell said a new notification system called SchoolReach Instant Parent Contact has already been purchased and should be online for the next school year.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 4, 2013 12:25 AM
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