Friday was a busy day for emergency services personnel and school officials on the Saucon Valley School District campus, and at the end of it at least one parent said he is upset over a lack of communication about the cancellation of an after-school event.
The day began with a medical emergency involving a staff member who fell outside the elementary school and reportedly had trouble breathing. An eyewitness said there was “major” police activity outside the school as a result, with traffic rerouted around the area where the employee fell. A school official when later asked was unaware of the employee’s condition.
The day culminated with a reported gas leak at the high school, which prompted a flurry of questions on social media by both parents and community members in spite of emails sent out by a district official as the situation unfolded.
The gas leak forced the evacuation of the high school just as a drenching rain began to fall, and was described by Athletic Director Bob Frey in an email sent to parents at 2:18 p.m. as “small” and located near the school’s kitchen.
“All high school students are safe and located in the middle and elementary schools,” he said in the email.
At the same time as the evacuation was occurring, a large Veterans Day assembly was being held in the gym the elementary and middle schools share. The patriotic assembly involved the entire elementary school as well as more than 130 parents and grandparents of students who are veterans and were there to be honored.
The Veterans Day assembly was unaffected by the disruption caused by the high school’s evacuation, although high school students could be seen walking past the closed gym doors as it was being held.
In a followup email sent to parents just after 3 p.m., Frey assured them that “emergency personnel and UGI were quickly on the scene for repair (of the gas leak) and at 2:24 p.m. the high school was given the all clear.”
“Students were able to return for their belongings and buses were held. Buses were released approximately 20 minutes late and therefore elementary bus runs also may be delayed,” he added.
Frey also said that all scheduled after-school activities with the exception of a 5th and 6th grade social that had been planned would take place.
However, messages about the social’s cancellation came too late to be helpful, said one parent.
“The fifth grades were supposed to have a social today and stay after school until 4 p.m.,” said Ryan Dierolf. “They decided to cancel it and send the children home on the bus. I received a call from my 10-year-old daughter that she is home while I was shopping. So, due to their incompetence my daughter was home alone.”
Dierolf said his daughter was fortunate to be able to get inside their home, because if she hadn’t been able to she would have been “stuck outside in the rain.”
“I did not receive an email, text or phone call about the social being canceled when they have my phone number and email address,” he said. “My wife did receive an email at 2:18, but she did not see it until I called her in a panic that our daughter was home alone.”
That email from Assistant Middle School Principal Amy Braxmeier said simply, “5th and 6th Grade Social that was to be held today is canceled. More information will be coming.”
“The middle school gets dismissed at 2:25,” Dierolf said. “So a 7-minute window would not be enough time for anyone to accommodate.”
Dierolf said he was told the social was canceled because it was supposed to be held in the gym, where cleanup was taking place from the Veterans Day assembly held earlier.
It was unclear whether the redistribution of students as a result of the high school evacuation played any role in its cancelation, but “regardless of the reason they sent her home with out contacting me,” Dierolf said.
Another parent, referring to the communication about the gas leak, praised the efforts that were made by the district to keep parents informed.
“Thanks, Mr. Frey, for going above and beyond,” said Leslie Repyneck. “Greatly appreciated.”
