Schools

County Schools Surprised By Quake, But Ready For Anything

Although the quake and hurricane closed down schools for a few days, the county schools are always prepared to handle evacuation situations.

County schools officials were just as surprised as everyone else when the earthquake hit on Aug. 23.

Yet, schools already  — remember those fire drills — and that helped them calmly leave the building after the quake.

"We have a normal plan that schools have for an evacuation mode that's implemented from the first day of school," Prince George's County Public Schools spokesman Briant Coleman said. "How the schools ran (after the earthquake) is commendable because not one student or staff member was injured."

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Although all schools remained closed Wednesday and some Thursday, as the county assessed damage, the schools only counted one day toward the earthquake.

Bradbury Heights Elementary School, has been closed for the remainder of the year due to structural damage, like cracks in the wall and ceiling tiles. Students moved to G. Gardner Shugart Middle School.

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Then the schools, like the region, was hit again — this time by Hurricane Irene, and although damage wasn't an issue this time, it was the lack of power.

All county public schools were closed Monday as a result; 19 schools remained closed Tuesday and five remained closed Wednesday, but Coleman said only one day will be counted toward the hurricane as well.

"Everyone has maintained calm and has been patient and that speaks volumes to the community as a whole," he said.


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