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Thomas: Schools OPEN Today (But Alabama Schools Are Closed)
April 3, 2017
Schools in Escambia County (FL) are OPEN today for class. All schools in Escambia County (AL) are closed today.
Escambia County (FL) Public Schools’ Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has announced that all schools are set to open at regular times Monday morning and all bus routes will operate as normal.
“At this time the weather data indicates a stormy and wet day. Most of the weather will occur after we are in school,” said Thomas. “Escambia County, Florida, schools will be in session on Monday.”
The district will remain in close communication with local authorities. If the district is provided with information involving severe weather, all safety precautions will be taken. If the weather causes any delays to dismissal times, the district will keep local media informed, and we’ll have the information on NorthEscambia.com.
Comments
41 Responses to “Thomas: Schools OPEN Today (But Alabama Schools Are Closed)”
School should be close for all kids in the state on Florida Friday to Wednesday it’s not safe for kids to good to school
Looks like it was a good call to have school today.
@ LOL, I was thinking the same thing! Some of the grammar and spelling is atrocious!! If you are going to complain about having to go to school, then at least prove you don’t need to go by using correct punctuation, spelling and grammar. Good grief.
Must have been a late April Fools joke. It rained. The wind blew. None of it severe. What a huge bunch of ninnies raising bigger ninnies.
There is not a right or wrong answer here.
However, if school gets called off 12 hours in advance every time we have a line of thunderstorms, we will not have very many days of school.
The concerning thing is the attitude shown here and that I often see from parents of students. Every parent says how important education is for their child, but their actions speak louder than their words, especially to your children. If you as a parent let your children miss days of school when they are not sick, you do not value education as much as others do.
I have to wonder about education levels of parents who let their kids skip school, because I don’t think many people in health care, engineering, education, or other fields with a college degree (who have much more opportunities and employment options) are letting their kids stay home. They know just how important each assignment and day of school is in order to succeed.
Often the students who miss the most school are the ones who cannot afford to miss a single day, yet their parents just don’t seem to get it.
I love this area and the people here, and I really wish that we would understand how essential education is.
WOW! Some of these comments……….you ever wonder why kids are the way they are nowadays? You don’t have to look very far. It’s storming……..that is all…….
Also, when making assumptions about your superintendent …….even IF he didn’t care about all of the “other” children in the county’s well being….I don’t think he would put his own GRANDCHILDREN, whom attend school in Escambia County FL, in harms way………js
@Parent
Underpaid ? Wow. The median teacher salary is $50k and Malcolm Thomas’s punk behind makes $137k a year. I know some folks with college degrees who can’t even find a job and some who only make $28-34k. Sorry, I know teachers have a lot on their shoulders but I think a $50k average is pretty decent. Especially when your doing something your supposed to love.
Maybe we can remember that there are still Tate kids at that school at the time the coach was doing physicals. While we are sitting around thinking about the rain. There are still victims let’s not loose focuse.
To all the parents bashing Mr. Thomas for school being open today and saying your children will be home with you…. Do none of you work, or does your boss tell you every time there is a chance of bad weather to stay home? I have bills to pay, so if your boss tells you to stay home WITH pay every time weather is bad, let me know where you work so I can apply there too! I would love to be home, but weather doesn’t stop my workplace from being open.
anyone know about George Stone if that area is closed?
I can appreciate the decision to open due to parents not having child care available and such but what I don’t get is that students who stay home due to the potential for dangerous weather will not have the absence excused. I’d rather not be on the road where there is a high risk of an accident. Santa Rosa County schools are open as well but I was told by the secretary to the superintendent that absences would be excused. Why can’t Escambia County do the same?
Considering all the grammatical errors in the comments maybe the adults should go back to school.
Why??? Why do we haft to come to school now what if our love ones get hurt and we aint there with them. What if the weather is so bad that we can not leave school. you need to think.What about your kids you wouldnt want them trapped in a school
My child will be staying home today. I was to close to the ef3 tornado that came through Ferry Pass last year. That was a horrible experience and I rather my child be comforted by me or my family than by a teacher. No offense but teachers have to much riding on their shoulders and if I can take one more stress off them I will.
Great. Another rainy day IN school. Maybe I’ll be able to sit in school hallways and have a pity party.
Stupid choices we going to school when a tornado watch on,every county around us is out of school but us whats gonna happen when it rains so hard they hold our dismissal
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but judging by some of the spelling and grammar I’ve seen in these comments, some of you should consider going to school today to learn a thing or two.
Mr. Thomas gets a check whether schools are open or closed. He’s calling the decision he feels is best all around. If need be there will be early dismissals. If the weather isn’t as bad as anticipated, there will be no make-up day…even if the schools close after 3 or 4 hours!!
Tate floods. Classed today will be small and no work will be done. What’s the point in going?
People do not know how to follow the rules. I believe Mr.Thomas has made the best decision for the sake of our children. Why close the school on the count of rain. Your boss will still expect you to be at work, right? It’s time for parents to grow up and stand behind it’s teachers and faculty instead of making their jobs harder. Their jobs already under paid and over worked!
I’m concerned to whether or not we’ll even be able to leave the house once it starts raining. Our neighborhood floods so badly that no one can get on the road after heavy rain.
I don’t allow unexcused absences for my kids but what are we to do if their bus can’t make it down the street for pick up and drop off? My high schooler and middle schooler don’t want to miss class time, and I’d hate for them to be penalized because we can’t make it to the end of the driveway.
I’d rather them make up the day off at the end of the school year than be penalized for not showing up due to horrific weather.
I don’t agree with his decision at all , but it is still a parents choice weather to send our kids to school or not. Some agree school is a safer place and it may be but in a parents view or mine anyway , no one can protect my kids better than me. I also agree if we keep them home that also keeps them off the roads ,not only bus kids but the student drivers also. The roads are bad enough without storm conditions! better safe than sorry for sure. And the parents that don’t have a choice to take off work to stay home with their kids maybe they feel school is safer. Hope everyone stays safe in or out of school. As for mine ,they will be home!
Good call, Mr T
Thank you for making an informed, thoughtful decision based on experience. Many kids in our county will be safe in their schools (often storm shelters) instead of
* at home (sometimes a trailer, which is highly unsafe in these predicted conditions)
* alone while their hard-working parents would have to worry about them, or miss work ($), etc.
Whining students – just stay home.
Whining parents – keep your kids home.
Teachers – disgusting how you are complaining about your job and taking care of your students when some might need you the most.
Those blaming a school superintendent if you die – grow up and take responsibility for what YOU chose to do tomorrow for yourself and/or your kids. Mr T is providing an A+++ option!
It’ll only be in hindsight what ’should’ve’ been done.
Me and my kids will have a lazy day in our beds tomorrow while Mr. Thomas goes to work! Have a great Monday everyone!
Bad call. I guess I’ll be stuck in the hallway the whole day.
What he don’t understand is that he is not in danger down in the District. He’s not taking in account that 99.99% of the county is in the red zone. He’s not doing it for the well being of the students he’s doing it to get his paycheck, that’s all he’s worried about. If the dismissal times may be delayed then we shouldn’t go, some students don’t get off the bus until 5:30 so what are we gonna wait until 6:30 to get home. All the other schools are canceled. Flomaton High is only a few miles away and idk why we can’t be out
I dont care what Malcom Thomas says, my grand baby is staying home excused or not! Kinderbabies still cry and want mommy when its bad weather. At least she can be home being comforted by parents and grandparents instead of being stuck in a halway scared to death. A teachers lap or arms are big enough to keep them all calm at the same time.
Back in the ’70s and ’80s, we went to school in thunderstorms all the time. Back then, we actually had to gather at a central bus stop, no buses stopping right in front of every child’s home like today.
Me.thomas can make whatever decisions he wants but my kids will be home with me and he can go to work and be there by himself
who gives a crap what Alabama schools are doing? Mr. Thomas made an informed decision and like it or not, that’s HIS decision. He’s the one who has the responsibility laying on his shoulders for taking care of kids(which some parents don’t even do) AND teachers along with the bigger picture of how many teaching days are available throughout the year that have to be utilized or it ends up getting tacked on the end of the year. Some parents think the school district is supposed to be RAISING their kids for them and honestly, the school is a safer environment for them than their own homes. Golly, what’d they do fifty years ago when a big, bad thunderstorm rolled through………they hunkered down, waited it out and went on about their business. Oops, I forgot, we’re no longer able to function like we did back then. We should all be skeeeeeeeered because the SKY is falling. Good call Mr. Thomas and I’ll be at school tomorrow!!
This is absolutely INSANE!! What about dismal time because if you look at the time line above the kids get out while its at its worst. There are kids that have to get onto a bus and get onto the roads with people who think the world has ended and cant drive when the roads are wet, therefore endangering our children who are on the buses. Malcom Thomas all of us parents are concerned…WHY AREN’T YOU? You still get your paycheck weather the kids are in school or not. Cancel classes for the day and let the kids stay inside and off the roads where they are safe. What benefit are they receiving to sit in a hallway all day?
So 70 MPH winds and Thomas still going to have school. What a Joke. So if kids get hurt it is on his hands.
Why would you make such a dumb decision mr.thomas put kids in risk tommorow. I feel we should cancel all escambia schools.and all schools should resume on tuesday april 4th
Really? Why not take precautions for us kids? If I die tomorrow, Malcom is the blame.
Schools in Alabama are already closing due to the weather, and if that’s how bad it’s going to be, than close ours! Angry Student.
I work at Westgate it’s so Difficult to get these students on and off that bus at these times. Crowded halls such a hassle and headache thank god for OUR PATIENCE
So all of you think it would be better for them to sit at home by themselves while their parents are at work ?
Because it certainly is not being cancelled.
Thanks for the update.
My daughter just called. Alabama schools are closed. Thanks Mr. Thomas. Nice to know you’re so concerned about our safety.
Will absences be excused if parents choose to keep their children home due to weather? I have friends who were hit in LA, should really reconsider. With expected wi ds, buses may not be safe.
That’s smart Thomas get all the students away from their family’s lock them in a school so they can sit in the hallway and their families can worry about them
Yay! We can sit in the hall most if the day.