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Glide SD 12 board praises staff response after bus trapped by debris on Highway 138
Summary
Board members credited school staff and community volunteers after a tree and debris blocked Highway 138 and delayed a school bus; two students stayed overnight with staff and all were reunited with parents the next morning. The board discussed communication and contingency planning.
At a regular meeting, Glide SD 12 board members commended staff for quickly responding when a tree and debris blocked Highway 138 and a school bus bound for Diamond Lake was unable to proceed.
"As soon as I found out about it, I called Robert and got informed of what the situation was," a board member said, and thanked maintenance and transportation staff who "jumped on that very quickly and took care of things." Superintendent Robert Freeman credited elementary principal Tanya Beard and transportation maintenance director Brent Harvey for prioritizing student safety, saying staff ensured students were warm, fed and reunited with families.
Freeman described the district's on-the-ground response and the broader community support: churches and residents brought blankets, clothing and food. He and other board members said the district lacked a formal contingency plan for this specific scenario and handled the situation "playing as time went by," prioritizing students' well-being.
Board members urged reviewing communication procedures after the incident. Freeman said the district will test a new notification platform (ParentSquare) and asked principals to follow up if families did not receive messages during the incident.
The board did not take formal action on contingency planning at the meeting but asked staff to provide timeline details in the superintendent packet and to follow up with parents and the community about communication improvements.
