GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Stormy weather on Wednesday caused problems for students trying to get to school in Gwinnett County.
Some parents told 11Alive they felt that their children's safety was put at risk in two separate situations where middle schoolers were waiting at different bus stops while there was an ongoing tornado warning.
A Lawrenceville mom, Carmelita McCoy, said her son and other students tried to take cover in their apartment complex leasing office. However, she claimed that staff members kicked them out.
“It made me feel very bad as a parent, because I love my son," she said tearfully. "I love my son dearly, and for you to be able to just kick my son out of somewhere where I pay the bills and I pay my bills on time ... it hurts."
"And I couldn’t do anything for my son other than try to leave work and get here as fast as I could," she explained.
11Alive reached out to the apartment complex and was told someone from the regional office would contact us. However, we have not heard back yet.
In Buford, a dad told 11Alive several students were waiting at a bus stop much longer than usual during the storm.
"I live in an apartment complex, and there were probably 20 or more kids waiting for a bus," he said. "A lot of the kids don’t have cell phones."
"It’s concerning that these kids were out there in the thunderstorm with a tornado warning, an active tornado warning," he added.
In this situation, he said, the apartment complex let students take cover in the office until the bus arrived.
However, parents in both incidents wondered if it would have been better if the district delayed start times Thursday until the weather passed.
11Alive reached out to Gwinnett County Public Schools about the parents' concerns.
"When the school district received word about the tornado warning we alerted our schools and staff and they sheltered in place or took shelter," a district spokesperson said in a statement. "We also notified parents/families of the precautions being taken. Due to the weather, some of our middle school bus routes were delayed."
"Once the warning was lifted, drivers of those routes continued their routes. It is important to remember that parents are responsible for their children’s safety while they are at bus stops prior to boarding," the statement continued. "This situation is just one example of why adult supervision at bus stops is so critical."
11Alive also asked specifically whether school should have been delayed, but the district said it does not delay or cancel based on a forecast because conditions can be unpredictable.
However, their protocol is to monitor the weather and take steps based on timely information.
The district also mentioned that when the tornado warning was issued, many of their high schools and elementary schools were already in session.
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