Bartow Schools Return To Normal Operations On Tuesday

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- The Bartow County School System will return to normal operations on Tuesday, Dec. 12 as much of the area is thawing out from the first snow storm of the 2017-18 season.

The Bartow County Roads Department has been working diligently to ensure the safety of students and school system staff members. All downed trees and power lines have been removed from the roadways. Georgia Power and local EMCs have been working around-the-clock to restore power to thousands of households in our community.

To help in its efforts, Georgia Power petitioned the district to use the Bartow County College and Career Academy as a staging area Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Of course, that request was met without hesitation from Bartow Schools Superintendent Dr. John Harper.

“It’s being a good steward for the community," he added. "We opened the Student Hub, cafeteria, and other
rooms so workers could get out of the cold weather and rest. It’s important to support and give back to our generous community.

“I also want to say thank you to our parents. I know it was inconvenient to pick up your children Friday, but you banded together to help us achieve a common goal: safety. I knew when I received the first report of a bus sliding on the roadway, that bus transportation was not the best option to get our children home."

The Bartow County community at large also pitched in to get all students home before 2 p.m. Friday. Multiple families posted on social media, offering their vehicles as a means to transport students. School resource officers also drove children home, and transportation department employees used four-wheel drive vehicles to reach students. One cafeteria employee even waited at each school in the event children could not get immediate transportation home.

"It also warms our hearts to say backpacks full of non-perishable food items were sent home with more than 300 students Friday through our Backpack Buddies initiative," the system added Monday in its press release. "We know that helped many families struggling as a result of widespread power outages."

The school system began releasing students Friday following information received by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and National Weather Service. It moved up release times based on changing weather patterns and road conditions. Superintendent Harper and several top administrators "worked tirelessly last week, monitoring all available weather forecasts and related information." The system also said he was the first to arrive at the central office Friday and did not leave until ever BCSS student was accounted for.

In response to recent inquiries, there will be no attendance penalties issued as a result of Friday’s inclement weather.

Image via Patch