codyg1985’s Think Tank

Today is one of those days where severe weather is expected across Alabama. The Storm Prediction Center has placed northern Alabama under a moderate risk of severe weather for Thursday, which usually means there is a pretty good chance of tornadoes, hail, or strong winds.  Schools are sending kids home early.  When I was a kid, we hardly ever got sent home early from school due to the potential for severe weather. As I got into high school, the practice of sending kids home got more prevalent.  Now every time there is some risk of severe weather, the kids get sent home.  Is that the best idea?

In rural areas, most people live in mobile homes. Mobile homes are one of the worst places to be in a tornado. Numerous studies have shown that mobile homes can be death traps during a tornado or strong wind event. However, many kids are sent home from a sturdy school house building to a mobile home where there is little to no shelter from the storm.  Schools are protecting themselves from lawsuits by sending kids home. If the kids are sent home, the school system no longer shoulders the responsibility of protecting the kids from the storm if and when such a storm approaches. Therefore, the school system is protected from any lawsuits.  Has it gotten to the point to where school system administrators are more concerned about any financial backlash from keeping the kids at school than potential loss of life that could result from those kids being inside a mobile home during a tornado?