Parent warns board that band trailer parking puts students at risk

At the Sept. 16 meeting of the Braxton County Board of Education, parent Dennis Gerald said a band equipment trailer that used to be parked near the high school is being kept in the bus garage area and at times in the bowl parking, forcing students to carry large instruments down stairs and across roadway traffic to load and unload.

"So if your number 1 priority is the safety of our students, I do believe that this is in the best safety interest of our band students," Gerald told the board, arguing that a misstep while carrying a tuba or moving a wheeled uniform rack could cause serious injury.

A school staff member who responded said the retired bus that had been parked beside the school was not an appropriate long-term location and indicated there had been prior requests to remove it. The staff member questioned why the trailer was positioned in the vault/bowl area rather than adjacent to the band room for loading and said parking limitations and fire-lane requirements complicate staging vehicles around the loop.

Gerald and the staff member discussed logistical constraints, including the availability of a vehicle with sufficient towing capacity for the roughly 10,000-pound trailer plus contents. The staff member said a county maintenance 'red truck' is available after 2 p.m. and indicated the district could arrange for it to be used to move the trailer when a parent volunteer is not available.

The staff member committed to follow up to clarify who authorized the current parking location and to work with school maintenance to help resolve the safety and parking concerns. The exchange closed with the staff member thanking Gerald for raising the issue and the board chair noting the district's interest in avoiding student injuries.

The meeting record shows no formal motion or vote on the trailer matter; the staff member said they would "find out" and "figure it out," signaling staff follow-up rather than immediate board action.