Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Adverse Situations
Adverse Situations
Adverse Situations
Adverse Situations
The main decision is determining whether or not the air conditioning can be repaired in a
timely manner or if the students and staff need to be dismissed until the repairs can be made. If
we ascertain that the problem cannot be fixed promptly, then we will have to figure out how to
notify the parents and the bus drivers of the change in schedule. Another item to consider is the
In these types of situations, communication is essential. I would need to notify the people
who work in the central office first to make sure that I am following protocol. They make the
final decisions about whether or not the school will be closed earlier than usual. It is also
important to keep them in the loop so that in case there is any news media, they will know how
to respond. They would also be able to contact the bus drivers or our Department of
Transportation so they can either bus the students home or elsewhere. They can also help me
current situation. The staff has probably noticed the increase in temperature over the last few
hours. Using any accurate weather site, I would see how high the temperatures are expected to
get. This will also help me determine whether or not we need to leave early. As principal, I
would need to send an email to all of the staff. This email would tell them about the broken air
conditioner, the approximate repair time, and what we as the school plan to do in response. In
this case, the school would need to dismiss early. I would also send a statement to the staff on
what to say to parents. In my school, we use TalkingPoints to communicate with parents. After
the school is completely empty, I will do an “all call” to the parents of the school with a pre-
recorded message to let them know what is going on in the school. If this incident reaches the
media, I would advise the staff not to answer any questions directly. I would tell them to direct
any news media personnel to the designated person from the central office to address the
situation.
With it being so early in the morning, the students may not have eaten lunch yet.
Therefore, the cafeteria staff should be notified so that a bagged lunch can be prepared for them
to take with them. I would also instruct staff to allow students regular water breaks until they
have been either picked up by their parents or are on the bus. The school nurse and the school’s
first responder team would be advised to check for anyone who shows signs of heat exhaustion,
heat stroke, or any other heat-related illness. Students who are diabetic or have other underlying
Hopefully, the students will be picked up by the bus or a parent shortly after dismissal. If
there are one or two students remaining, after several attempts to contact the parents, the
assistant principal and the guidance counselor will be asked to take the students home. I will
As the principal, it is my duty to ensure the safety and welfare of all the students and staff
in our school. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, “Arizona is one of the
hottest places on earth from May to September” (ADHS). The Arizona Department of Health
Services also provides a table for each county that shows the level of risk according to the
temperature and location of the school and they advise to start interventions while the
temperatures are still lower. Once the temperatures reach a certain level, students, staff, and other
According to Wayne County Public School Board policy, the decision to do an early
dismissal is usually left to the discretion of the superintendent who will notify related personnel.
However, a principal can also invoke an early dismissal but will still have to notify the
The most important stakeholders in this situation would be the students who are in an
unsafe learning environment. The next would be the faculty and staff that are working in an
unsafe environment. This would include the nurses, custodial staff, and office staff. Parents, bus
drivers, and the central office personnel are also stakeholders in this situation however, they are
not in a situation where they can become ill or injured due to the heat.
process of early dismissal for the students. It is better to err on the side of caution. If the air
conditioning cannot be restored within an hour, it is best to get the students out of the building
until repairs can be made. Parents should be notified and receive prompt communication from
teachers regarding the issue. As the principal, it is my job to ensure that my staff knows what is
going on so that they can appropriately respond to the students and parents. I should also let the
central office know what is going on so that they can get workers to our school who can do
repairs and further advise me on how long the school will be closed and any make-up days for
We want our students to learn, but we do not want to risk harm to them due to extreme
temperatures and the heat suddenly stopped working. Our staff also have the right to work under
conditions that are not harmful to them. Therefore, in order to protect the people inside the
building, I must dismiss school early and make sure everyone gets home safely before I leave the
building. I should follow the protocol, and I will need to contact the necessary persons and
Arizona Department of Health Services. (n.d.). Managing extreme heat recommendations for
https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/extreme-
weather/heat/managing-extreme-heat-recommendations-for-schools.pdf
Wayne County Public Schools. (n.d.). Board Policy. Policy manual. Retrieved November 1,