Parents say delayed communication worsened response after tree fell on Hilltop fourth-grade class

Two parents who said their children were in a Hilltop Elementary fourth-grade classroom when a tree fell on March 14 told the Canfield Local School District Board of Education on April 9 that they received no direct district communication during or after the incident and that silence increased parental distress.

Kristen West, a parent who said her son was in the affected class, said in public comment that news of ambulances at the school spread by text and that “the silence was deafening.” She told the board she expected at least a text or call from district leaders and said nearly a month later she still had not received an explanatory message.

“All of the parental angst could have been avoided had a call gone out that day,” West said. “Absent any information, one tends to jump to the worst possible conclusions.”

Allison Kikura, who said she lives near Hilltop and also has children there, described hearing multiple emergency vehicles and seeing children released from the school. She urged clearer transparency and accountability from the district, saying that parents learned of the incident through word-of-mouth rather than official district channels.

“It was horrifying,” Kikura said of hearing ambulances outside her home. “The lack of communication that followed deeply undermines the trust that we have placed.”

In response, the superintendent (name not specified) told the speakers the district’s first priority must be students’ care during an incident, and that communication protocols and appropriate timing for district-wide messages could be evaluated. The superintendent said the district would review how and when information is sent to families and noted that building- and incident-level decisions can affect what is communicated and when.

Board members and the superintendent also noted earlier statements that the woods adjacent to the school would remain off-limits to students and staff until cleared by arborists, and some parents asked whether areas proposed for a Hilltop “nature walk” have been checked and cleared before being offered in a district auction.

The public commenters pressed the board both for immediate improvements in emergency notification and for broader cultural change so families are better included when incidents occur. The board did not vote on new policy at the April 9 meeting but said it would evaluate the district’s communication procedures and consider follow-up steps.

The board meeting also included routine business and other agenda items unrelated to the Hilltop incident. The district did not announce any disciplinary action or personnel changes tied to the March 14 event at the April 9 meeting.

Looking ahead, parents and board members said they want a clearer, written outline of when parents will be alerted about emergencies and what information will be shared following on-site incidents; the district said it would return with potential improvements after reviewing the event and current protocols.