Published: May 21, 2008 09:51 am            

Schools look closely at their safety policies in wake of recent death

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Area school districts are reaching out and offering their thoughts and whatever help available to Mt. Vernon District 80’s Casey Middle School following the tragic drowning of eighth-grade student Javon Howard at the Rend Lake College Aquatics Center Friday. Howard and his classmates were at the college participating in a class trip.

According to RLC officials, Howard was elbowed in the head Friday and checked by a lifeguard before being allowed to re-enter the water. Once back in the water, the student went under before being retrieved and given CPR. He was transported to Crossroads Community Hospital in Mt. Vernon, where he was pronounced dead.

Extra counselors from Mt. Vernon Township High School have been provided to the school, according to Superintendent Terry Milt. “Anything they need us to do, we’ve tried to do,” Milt said.

Keeping students safe is always the No. 1 priority for school districts, and in light of Friday’s tragic event, school officials are saying questions will always arise regarding the safety of children. Milt said the high school follows the policy of one chaperone per 10 students during a class trip. “Anytime something tragic happens, someone will always second-guess,” Milt added. “From everything I’ve been told, Casey [Middle School] followed every procedure, and our hearts go out to them.”

The policy of one chaperone per 10 students is one that most schools use, Milt said. However, smaller schools like Bethel, McClellan and Dodds grade schools have smaller classroom sizes and thus will often have more teachers and adults accompany students on trips. Dodds Superintendent Craig Clark agreed that when a tragic incident occurs, officials do tend to examine the safety policy. “It does make you look at it and think more intently about it,” Clark said.

Dodds had scheduled a field trip to the Rend Lake Aquatics Center, and out of respect for Casey Middle School and the Howard family, it was decided to cancel the outing.

Bethel Grade School also offers “Good Behavior” parties for students as part of its Positive Behavior Intervention System. Recently, the school took students on a spelunking trip to Illinois Caverns at Burksville. Spelunking involves exploring underground caves, which may have narrow passageways or areas with water almost waist high. When the school participates in spelunking trips, Superintendent Matt Renaud said the school also follows the one chaperone to 10 students policy, but there are always plenty of teachers and chaperones who accompany students on spelunking trips.

Renaud said though the incident Friday was tragic, students’ safety is always the No. 1 priority, and officials will always question whether the proper procedure was followed. “It’s a very unfortunate thing that happened and saddens us all,” he said. “And all these things [such as field trips] require us to question where we’re at and what we’re doing. Each new obstacle that comes our way, we have to ask ourselves if we’re doing the right thing.”

The fifth- through eighth-grade McClellan Grade School students are preparing to travel to the Holocaust Museum in St. Louis, according to Superintendent Angie Mills, and while plans were already in place with numerous adults accompanying students, Mills said the school tries to keep most field trips to an area in proximity of the school.

        

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