Last night the School Board Rep for Farragut held a community meeting on the 4 incidents that has disrupted school at Farragut High School. About 100 people were there at the peak of the meeting.
The crowd before the Bomb Threat Town Hall begins.
Many parents came wanting details and questioning procedures and protocals for handling these disruptions. All they got was we involve a lot of agencies and you have to trust us to handle it.
Media Row at the Bomb Threat Town Hall
The last disruption in classes resulted in the student body being in the football stadium for two and a half hours. A parent said that students came home with sunburns. Parents want better more accurate communications.
The crowd during the Bomb Threat Town Hall
A couple of students were the best participants. A current Junior explained that the last disruption her class had a substitute teacher. The students all knew something was happening at 8:30 a.m. because the boys bathroom was shut down and there were a lot of administrators around the bathroom. Whatever means of communication was used with the teachers via email or text did not come to her class and the first and only thing her class knew was when they were told to go to the football stadium. She wants a better known process for what the expectation is and details for where they are going.
A student from Hardin Valley asked the administrators if the situations at Hardin Valley and Farragut really are one offs or is it a indication of a bigger problem. The comment in response to the student was that if students knew it was a bigger problem tget should speak up.
A Hardin Valley student asks a question.
School Board Chairman Doug Harris, Director of Schools Dr. Jim McIntyre, Jr., Knox Co Sheriffs Assistant Chief Lee Tramel and Knox Co Sheriffs Captain Robby Lawson listen during the Bomb Threat Town Hall.
The attendees at the heighth of the meeting.
a parent discussing the latest disruption. Explaining that students came home with sunburns from being on the football stands for 2.5 hours.
Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr. explaining responses to threats
There were at least two low lights from this dog and pony show. One was a parent of a Lenoir City High School student that came to claim 15 seconds of fame to scold the Farragut parents about bullying. The second was a father that ranted about not getting a returned phone call from Dr. McIntyre and kept referring to Dr. McIntyre as Mr. McIntyre.
Fifth District School Board Candidate Buddy Pelot along with Knox County Commissioner John Schoonmaker and Knox Co Commission Vice Chairman Bob Thomas were present.
According to a Knox Co School Administrator the current student enrollment at Farragut High is 1,700. Only 100 attendees is a poor sampling of the student body parents.
I’m not quite sure what the purpose of this “dog and pony show” was. I can only guess one of two things happened. 1. A helicopter parent was unable to land close enough to the school during the reported incidents. 2. Knox County School District Board members, staff and administrators needed to quell some potential negative press.
At no time during these bomb scare events did I feel that proper steps were not taken to keep our kids safe or keep me as a parent informed. The number of people that attended is a clear indication that overall, this, not unlike acne will pass. Talk to your children daily about the world they live in. Be honest and for heavens sake don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill. Your reaction and interaction make all the difference in the world when they are confronted with a crisis. Anyone with real solutions to real concerns can and should know how to address them with the appropriate responsible party.