In the midst of last week’s fatal school bus crash, several Plymouth school officials were among those joining in the response efforts.
“All of our guidance counselors and social workers, really divine intervention, they all happened to be in a meeting together when I had to call them to go assist, which really helped in timing and organization and getting them where they needed to be,” Plymouth Schools Superintendent Andy Hartley told the school board Tuesday.
He said Director of Safety and Security Ted Brown, Washington Discovery Academy Principal Lauren Cooper, and Assistant Transportation Director Brandon Berger were also among those who helped out. “It’s just gratifying to know that we have people with such high levels of compassion for kids and families,” Hartley said. “And it was amazing to see that, even though they weren’t Plymouth kids, the kids that were there, it was evident they were our kids right away, and it was humbling. I’ve spoken to Mr. [Dan] Foster, the superintendent there, several times here since, and he just continues to extend his appreciation to Plymouth Community Schools for the help provided. So I wanted to make sure you knew that.”
The Plymouth School Board began Tuesday’s meeting with a moment of silence for the families affected and the entire Eastern Pulaski Schools community.
Hartley said last week’s tragedy has caused Plymouth Community Schools to evaluate their own safety and security systems. “In that regard, it was really evident that day that training matters, and our staff saw that firsthand, both in what they were observing and what they were experiencing,” he said. “And we appreciate Ted and the leadership he’s provided in that regard and the ownership that all have taken in that regard, similarly.” Hartley said he, Brown, and others will continue discussing the corporation’s policies in the coming weeks.
