News of an intruder at E.T. Carmichael School came as a shock and surprise to parents and caregivers Thursday, as they learned of the situation through media reports versus first hand from school officials or Near North Board Officials.
“The school didn't give us a call or message about it,” one concerned parent told BayToday.
“We all found out through media and social media.”
“Very irresponsible in my opinion," states the parent.
Near North Board Chair David Thompson says parents have a right to be upset, he too is concerned that the channels of communication were not open and in light of how the event unfolded the board is reassessing their processes.
Starting with how the intruder got into the school.
“The doors are supposed to be locked, you have to sign in and wear a visitor’s pass,” he tells Baytoday.
“The video tapes should help answer those questions.”
“Basically we are conducting an internal audit which is in conjunction with the police,” He also tells BayToday.
“We are reviewing our policies and procedures to see how we can improve on the safety of our schools. This includes communication between the NNDSB, North Bay Police and our school communities.”
At the same time Thompson commended the actions of the staff that prevented the situation from spiraling into a tragic event.
“Fortunately we had a teacher who was very vigilant and saved the day.”
