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Parents urge better communication after Hilltop tree fell on classroom; board promises review
Summary
Two parents told the Canfield Local board they learned of a March 14 tree-fall at Hilltop Elementary through neighbors and texts rather than official channels, criticized lack of communication ('the silence was deafening'), and urged transparency and support for students; the board agreed to evaluate communication protocols.
Parents pressed the Canfield Local Board of Education on April 9 for clearer and faster communication after a March 14 incident at Hilltop Elementary where a tree fell onto a fourth-grade class.
Kristen West (7950 Herbert Road) described learning about the event from neighbors and text messages and said, 'The silence was deafening.' She told the board that, without official information, parents tend to assume worst-case outcomes and urged the district to provide timely messages and psychological first aid for students.
Allison Kikura (71 Montgomery) said she witnessed the emotional fallout and likewise criticized the lack of district transparency: 'There was no formal communication, no transparency, and frankly, no reassurance that steps were being taken to prevent something like this from happening again.' Both parents asked whether the woods had been cleared and whether arborists had checked the area.
Board members acknowledged the concerns, said student safety is the priority, and agreed to evaluate the district's communication protocols. One board member said there may be debate about whether to notify an entire school or only affected classes and that the district would assess the appropriate response and whether a formal work session is needed.
Next steps: the board said it would review communication protocols and consider improvements; no formal action or policy change was taken at the meeting.
