School Climate & Safety

School Official Rides Out Storm

September 13, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Harrison County school district headquarters was about the only place that had electricity in coastal Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina and for more than a week afterward.

Thanks to an $83,000 gas-powered generator the district bought a few years ago, the offices of the 13,300-student district, which surrounds the cities and school districts of Gulfport and Biloxi, quickly became the hub of the storm-hammered community.

Henry Arledge, the superintendent of Harrison county, Miss., schools, sat in his district's main office as Hurricane Katrina raged outside.

District Superintendent Henry Arledge said here last week that he rode out the storm inside the building, mostly a metal-frame warehouse that also houses the district’s supply center and an alternative school. Around it, local businesses’ signs were blown out, power lines and poles were toppled, low-lying areas were flooded, and trees or debris littered every yard.

The district offices, which were air-conditioned and offered cold drinks and working rest rooms more than a week before any place else in Gulfport, quickly became a staging area for rescue workers. The Gulfport police moved in, and even relocated the county’s 911 emergency center to a room normally used for staff development. Nearby school systems, including the 2,000-student Pass Christian district, whose office was destroyed, also set up shop.

Mr. Arledge, who learned in his 26 years as the elected Harrison County superintendent to be ready for storms like Katrina, said some educators in his district waited out the storm at their schools, some of which were being used as shelters.

He bragged on Elmer Mullins, the principal of D’Iberville High School in the district, along with a school resource officer, for rescuing five county sheriff’s officers who were trapped in a sheriff’s office that was flooding during the storm. The principal had heard their calls for help over the radio, and drove a school bus through storm waters to find the officers, who swam to safety with their dogs.

“Our principals went through the hurricane trying to assist and help people make it through,” Mr. Arledge said.

The superintendent said he made sure to raise the American and Mississippi flags on the school headquarters’ flagpole the day after the storm. Everyone who entered the bustling offices and packed parking lot could see them.

“It shows you that we are going to come back,” Mr. Arledge said.

A version of this article appeared in the September 14, 2005 edition of Education Week as School Official Rides Out Storm

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Evidence & Impact: Maximizing ROI in Professional Learning
  Is your professional learning driving real impact? Learn data-driven strategies to design effective PL.
Content provided by New Teacher Center
Budget & Finance Webinar School Finance in an Uncertain Age
Navigating the new school finance reality? Get key insights from the 2025 Allovue Education Finance Survey in partnership.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A What a 'Positive, Proactive Approach' to Chronic Absenteeism Looks Like
A Kansas City, Kan., leader explains how her district shifted its approach to chronic absenteeism.
6 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda is the Coordinator for Student Support Programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress combating chronic absenteeism among their students.
Naomi Tolentino walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. Tolentino is the coordinator for student support programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress in lowering chronic absenteeism among their students.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week