Schools Close Early Due to Weather

Local schools didn’t take any chances and many decided to let kids out of school early today to beat the storms home. News 25’s Gina Tomlinson checked in with some Long Beach schools before they checked out early for the day.
St. Vincent De Paul Elementary School Principal Carol Church has seen severe weather hit the area like this before but hasn’t called off school early for a storm. “This is different. The winds are supposed to be really high.”
High enough to worry, the elementary school notified parents to come pick up their children before noon. “If there are children still here, I will stay with them until the parents pick them up,” said Church.
Schools across the Gulf Coast, even community colleges, closed early today, allowing students and staff to ride out the storm from the safety of their homes. “Our children are very precious to all of us, so the biggest concern is that they’re safe,” said Long Beach School District Superintendent Carrolyn Hamilton.
Safety especially becoming a concern when getting to and from school, thoughts of school buses being on the road was the main reason why Long Beach School District made the decision for the early dismissal. “Buses being on the road, high winds are a danger to buses,” said Long Beach School’s Transportation Director Larry Ramsey.
School officials tell News 25 because the buses are so big the high winds could potentially cause them to topple over. “A bus is high profile, so in high winds it can become unstable and it can tilt and you cannot take a chance like that with children on there,” said Hamilton.
Kids going home on buses from Long Beach Middle School left more than two hours early. It may be unusual for an early dismissal but living close to the Coast developing a plan for severe weather comes with holding a position in the Long Beach Schools district. “We’re always mindful about what’s coming and what the weather is going to do. It won’t be the only time this year, we just all know that that’s part of our job,” said Hamilton.

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