Evacuation procedures modified during FCAT

Hillsborough school officials say they are taking other, undisclosed, precautions to keep campuses safe.

By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 7, 2003

TAMPA -- In the past three weeks, the Hillsborough school system evacuated all of its 199 campuses three times after anonymous bomb threats were called in to 911.

But during FCAT testing, which continues through next week, district-wide evacuations are no longer automatic.

Instead, officials are taking other, undisclosed, precautions to keep campuses safe.

Though parents were not notified of the change, the new procedure actually puts Hillsborough's bomb threat policy more in line with those of other school districts, including Pasco and Pinellas. Neither of those districts orders a mass evacuation when a threat is made against an unnamed school.

"The overriding concern is making sure FCAT testing is not unduly disrupted," said school district spokesman Mark Hart.

When Hillsborough School Board member Jennifer Faliero first learned that evacuations would not be automatic during FCAT testing, she was angry and fearful for her two elementary-age children. But after learning more about the alternate precautions, she said she supports the administration's approach.

"They are taking extreme measures to protect the schools," Faliero said.

Some experts and parents have criticized Hillsborough's longstanding policy of district-wide evacuations. No bombs have ever been found, and some think the policy may actually contribute to hoaxes as thrill-seeking students see how easily they can empty schools with a phone call.

"It gets to be a game of cry wolf," said Diane Clare, president of the Hillsborough County Council of PTAs.

Clare said she doesn't have enough information about the new procedure to say whether it is appropriate. Still, she said, "It seems only fitting they should let parents know."

Hart said parental notification was considered.

But it was "ultimately decided the less said the better, for fear perhaps of encouraging a threat against a school," he said.

Hillsborough School Board chairwoman Carol Kurdell said she doesn't think the school district will back away from using mass evacuations once FCAT testing ends.

"All you need is one instance where you didn't evacuate and a bomb explodes," she said.

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