Families help schools be prepared

Friday, March 21, 2003 | 11:19 a.m.

Third grader Taylor Peck brought a salami sandwich and fruit cup with her Thursday to Vanderburg Elementary School -- a fine lunch, but not much help if an emergency shut down the campus and kept her there for long past the dismissal bell.

Fortunately Taylor's school is also stocked with bottled water, dried fruit, tuna fish and duct tape -- emergency supplies provided by parents at the behest of Vanderburg Principal Cathy Maggiore.

"It's reassuring for the kids to know the stuff is there and, God willing, they'll never have to use it," Randy Peck, Taylor's father, said.

Peck said he was impressed when he received a letter about a month ago from Maggiore asking for help with the supplies and explaining the school's procedure for emergency situations.

"Actually, we should probably have a plan like that for our own house," Peck said as he waited for his daughter outside the Henderson campus.

The letter went home after a first grade teacher asked what supplies the school had in the event of a disaster, Maggiore said.

"I realized it made sense to have some things on hand, even if we had to keep the kids here just until 6 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.," Maggiore said. "At least they would have water to drink and crackers to eat."

Like all district schools, Vanderburg students already participate in shelter-in-place drills, in which doors, windows and ventilation shafts are sealed to prevent contamination from a chemical spill or other biological hazard.

"We explained to them that Iraq is thousands of miles away, and having extra supplies is just like the shelter-in-place drill," Maggiore said. "It's important for children to feel safe at school no matter what."

John Morgan, a builder, said he taught his two sons how to seal a room before sending them to Vanderburg with a backpack full of duct tape to donate to the school's emergency cache.

"All they want to think about is homework and baseball, but I wanted them to know what was going on,' Morgan said of fourth grader Casey and third grader Connor. "I didn't try and scare them, just told them they needed to be more cautious from now on."

"This is an excellent example of a principal being proactive," said Carolyn Reedom, assistant superintendent of the Clark County School District's southeast region, which includes Vanderburg. "Our schools must be ready when our country faces a time of crisis."

The district is also in the midst of a crisis of its own, facing budget cuts of up to $220 million over the next two years if lawmakers don't approve plans to raise and add taxes.

"Obviously there's no money for us to provide these kinds of supplies to all our schools," Reedom said. "In situations like this it makes sense to turn to the parents and the community as a whole for help."

Administrators are considering some bulk purchases, including bottled water, in the event that the regular supply is interrupted, said Richard Ennes, business manager for the district.

But there are still many questions to be answered, such as where the supplies would be stored at already overcrowded campuses, Ennes said.

"Do we tell schools to buy the water themselves or do we go to Costco and try and cut some sort of bulk deal?" Ennes asked. "Do we tell principals to put the supplies in one place or do we make sure every classroom has a share? In some emergency scenarios it may not be desirable, or even possible, to have kids moving freely."

Students at all schools are expected to take home a letter today outlining the district's policy and procedure in the event of a major emergency.

The letter, distributed in both English and Spanish, reminds parents that schools remain open unless a "red alert" is issued by Gov. Kenny Guinn -- alerts from the federal Homeland Security Office do not necessarily apply to local schools.

Parents are also being told to ensure their child's emergency contact information filed with the school is up to date and accurate. Tips are also provided for talking with students about their concerns and suggest limiting younger children's exposure to media coverage of violence.