New School Board and Interim Superintendent Failed the Community Communications Lockdown

On Friday the Alamogordo Public Schools ordered a lockdown of Alamogordo High School. Students were panicked, several texted their parents for help and answers. Parents reached out and heard nothing. 

The facts are there was a student medical emergency due to a student smoking illegal street cannabis that was laced In fentanyl. The student needed medical attention and the lockdown for medical reasons is a standard procedure and proper protocol. 

The improper part of the issue was the delayed communications and lack of transparency. Many parents immediately go to the APS Facebook official page for information. Under the previous board and under the previous superintendent who is superintendent whenever there was a lockdown there was an immediate community communication notification of a lockdown, of it ending and a high level detail of what transpired.

Friday that level of transparency and communication was missing. The parents and community will let this one pass and accept the fact that new leadership is learning and the communications delay was due to the leadership being novices in their new role. 

The slip up is noted and you get a pass on this first slip under your new term. But parents are concerned as are resident taxpayers that this communications slip and lack of transparency is policy and not a novice slip up. There will be other lockdowns let’s hope a lesson was learned and new leadership steps forward more transparently then what occurred on Friday. 

-Paul -  A Concerned Parent