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Ernest Ward Students Spend Friday In Lockdown, No Problems Reported
March 27, 2010
Instead of a planned outdoor fun Field Day, students at Ernest Ward Middle spent Friday in lockdown mode following a Thursday dismissal time fight that sent a bus driver to the hospital and seven Ernest Ward and Northview students to jail.
Three of the students remained in jail Friday morning. All have been suspended and banned from campus until they receive hearings from the school district.
There were no security problems during the day, according to Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. And, she said, the fight did not impact attendance on Friday. There were 25 students absent, a normal number for the school of 540 students on the day before Spring Break.
“Parents did not keep their children at home,” Perry said. “They had the confidence that they were safe and that we would take care of them.”
Upon arrival at the school, students were escorted from their bus to their classrooms by staff. After a morning exam, students remained in their classrooms all day and escorted to lunch. When they went to the bathroom, they were escorted by an employee that remained at the bathroom door.
Extra security and several district officials were on hand to make sure the day went smoothly, Perry said.
During the day, Perry told students that she hated to follow the lockdown procedures and punish the majority for the actions of a few students, but she said the school’s Field Day will be held sometime after Spring Break.
On NorthEscambia.com, parent and student reaction to the lockdown and the canceled Field Day were mixed, but most voiced support for Perry’s decisions.
“I totally get why Mrs. Perry kept in our classrooms today and that was for our safety,” one student wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
“Oh & I have to admit, today was like prison. but you can’t blame Mrs. Perry. She was just making sure we were safe and nothing was said or done that was related to the fight yesterday. I’m sure after spring break, people will be cool and we can be back on regular schedule,” another student said.
“What’s that saying ‘a few bad apples ruin the bunch’. Its true, a few bad students have ruined their field day. I do understand though, Mrs. Perry needs to contain the students as much as possible, to keep things from escalating the day after,” a parent stated.
“As a parent of two students of EWMS, I have 100% total confidence in Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry and her excellent staff. Amazing school,” a Molino parent said.
“I feel that all the children were being punished for someone else’s bad behavior and it just isn’t fair. Who wants to sit in one classroom all day and practically do nothing,” another parent wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “Ernest Ward Students Spend Friday In Lockdown, No Problems Reported”
Regarding: “Can a student who is in special education and has an IEP (individual education plan) be expelled in Florida? Just wondering!”
Technically, no. An IEP is a contract guaranteeing the student the services specified in the IEP.
A student with an IEP can be given a hearing to determine if a change of placement is warranted by their behavior. Change of placement can be: from inclusion in the regular classes to confinement in a special class at the same school; or from attending a regular school to attending a special school or center.
In rare cases a student has been assigned to homebound services.
This will be decided for each individual student at a change of placement hearing. The relationship of the student’s behavior to his disability will be considered. The safety of having the student remain in his present setting will be considered. After the hearing the ESE administrator in charge of the hearing makes the decision.
Be aware that I retired in 2007, so my information is three years old. There may have been some policy changes.
My wife can address it better–when she wakes back up, but I remember part of it is that IEP only covers certain disabilities. If a child does something outside of the disability listed, expulsion shouldn’t even be a problem.
For example, say a child has a learning disability and brings a gun to school. Unless the learning disability would cause him to not understand guns are no-no’s, bringing disallowed items to school would be sufficient to expell.
For a harder example, say a child has problems with self control due to Emotional Handicaps of some sort and tends to attack everybody in sight at the drop of a hat, it would be harder to get rid of him, but the safety of the other children still has to be considered. You don’t send a time bomb to school because Congress decides Time Bombs should be treated just like nonTime Bombs.
David who will ask Patsy to give more in the morning
REGARDING:
“Can a student who is in special education and has an IEP (individual education plan) be expelled in Florida? Just wondering!”
Not without a hearing, but meetings are what school administrators live for.
David knowing practically nothing is impossible
not quite
yea i agree the princibal is in the right on this one .. their are some crazy kids these days . you gotta keep the other kids safe . so good job to her !!
Can a student who is in special education and has an IEP (individual education plan) be expelled in Florida? Just wondering!
This is what happens when th Principal treats the students the way Mrs. Perry does, complete trust from parents and community!!!
u didnt even want to be there friday my whole class was saying by 11 olock they want to go home they hate this fun day but mrs perry was doing her job thank you mrs perry for keeping us safe
all of the kids learnd a BIG LESSON from the fight and it NEVER!! happends agian
I have a little brother that goes to there, an I went there myself. I have 100% confidence in Mrs. Perry as well. She done a good job when I went there with less students. So she made the right decision. Parents or students who think that it was unfair to have the kids on lock down should look at it in her point of view, & think of what could have happened!! Northview was on a lock down too. Thanks for all you do Mrs. Perry, your awesome to your babies & staff!
I hope the bus driver is ok
I’m sure it was like being in jail themselves for the rest of the students at EWMS, but I believe 100% that Principal Perry made the right decision. Thanks to Principal Perry, staff members and bus drivers; for taking safety precaution for the children.
well at least mrs.perry was thinking about the kids and their staffs safty. good job mrs.perry!
Had there not been a lockdown….and something DID happen as a result of Thursdays fight, I bet the parents that whined along with their kids would be screaming right now……Nancy…you DID the right thing!