Some local parents were caught off guard with a last second decision for early dismissal yesterday for the Tangipahoa Parish School System and now the administration has offered an explanation.
They said they were sorry for any inconvenience that the early dismissal caused families and employees; however, they said it was necessary due to some unexpected shifts in the weather forecast regarding timing.
They said when potential weather conditions are a concern, they coordinate with local officials to determine school closures. This decision is based on weather predictions and the timing of the weather event. The 11 a.m. call yesterday with local and state officials indicated that the greatest threat for hazardous weather would be between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. During this time, conditions would not be favorable for buses to be on the road. As a result, TPSS opted to begin dismissing students at noon up until 1 p.m. to get bus routes completed well before 3:00 p.m.
District and school communications were sent out through voice calls, emails, and text messages. Due to the large number of messages being sent within a short period of time, the communication system experienced delays in sending those messages. TPSS says they are already working with our communication system vendor to improve the efficiency of the release of information.
The administration would like to thank all their dedicated bus drivers, employees, and families for working together to get the children home safely.
