School Buses Serve Evacuees as Harvey Shuts Down Schools
In southeastern Texas, school bus drivers and staff help move evacuees to shelters amid the devastating storm and floodwaters.
At Humble ISD near Houston, school bus drivers have been transporting storm evacuees and supplies. Seen here are drivers Tiffany Acton and Daniel Laughlin with a busload of donated food and supplies. Photo courtesy Humble ISD
At Humble ISD near Houston, school bus drivers have been transporting storm evacuees and supplies. Seen here are drivers Tiffany Acton and Daniel Laughlin with a busload of donated food and supplies. Photo courtesy Humble ISD
HOUSTON — With the storm known as Harvey wreaking havoc in southeastern Texas and causing school closures, some school bus operations in the region have been contributing to relief efforts.
In Humble Independent School District (ISD), for example, school bus drivers have transported evacuees — as well as donated food and supplies — to local shelters.
School buses from nearby New Caney ISD were also dispatched to support the evacuation efforts in Humble, according to Humble ISD Superintendent Liz Celania-Fagen.
@HumbleISD Police and Bus, supporting Harris County, helped storm evacuees get to a church shelter today in Humble. #Proud2BeHumbleISDpic.twitter.com/sQTLzkxEkY
— Jamie Mount (@mount_jamie) August 28, 2017
Due to the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, Humble ISD’s school opening is expected to be delayed until at least Thursday, Sept. 7.
“As flood waters recede, district staff are assessing each campus and working with authorities to determine when closed roadways will reopen,” the district said in an announcement on its website.
Other Houston-area school districts are also closed this week because of the storm.
Meanwhile, Houston ISD is providing resources for employees affected by Harvey and is accepting donations to aid students.
“We have had school communities as far away as New York and Missouri ask what they can do,” Houston ISD Superintendent Richard Carranza said in a press release. “Well, this is what we need: food, clothing, and school supplies to make sure that when our students are finally back in the classroom, they are ready to learn.”
In Beaumont ISD, the transportation team pitched in to ferry residents to shelter. The district posted a photo on Facebook of one of its school buses working its way through floodwaters.
In Bay City ISD, teacher and coach Nathan Janak was among staff members who drove evacuees to a high school in Rosenberg. He wrote about the experience in a highly shared Facebook post, as Fox News reported.
School districts farther from the storm are also working to support displaced families. For instance, San Antonio ISD and Austin ISD said that evacuees can enroll in their schools. San Antonio ISD noted that displaced students are eligible for school transportation services.
In Dallas, activity buses from Dallas County Schools transported evacuees from an airport to a shelter in Irving.
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