Good Morning Marshall Owls Family!
Last night MPS leaders met with the Marshall City Council and other groups confronting the impact the coronavirus is having on the City of Marshall and the rest of the nation. A request from several in attendance was that the school notify city departments including police, fire fighters, health officials, the mayor, and city council prior to making an announcement that school will not be in session and the reason for the closure. This is to allow time for those groups to prepare for what might be a near panic when Marshall citizens hear school is closed.
It has been our practice to alert school personnel first before making an announcement to the community as a whole. This is the procedure for inclement weather (and other closures) district administrators have followed for many years. Administration and Board Members will, however, change this practice as long as the coronavirus continues to impact our lives. MPS will alert city and county officials prior to canceling school and will then communicate the closure to school employees, families, and the media.
I ask for your patience and understanding while we all navigate this new normal. We ask the community, as a whole, to understand this change in practice is not to withhold information. It is to be a cooperative and collaborative member of the City of Marshall. Information about school closing(s) will be shared with MPS employees, families, and the media after the appropriate amount of time is given to alert city officials.
Because information will be given prior to a school announcement, some of you will hear of our decision before it is officially announced by the district. We ask that you please do not react before you read the statement that comes from me or another central office administrator. When people are confronted with an upsetting situation such as this, rumors can be as damaging as the crisis itself. Our official message will come in an email, Owl Text Alert, and will be posted on the MPS website. Again, thank you for your patience, help, and understanding as we confront this situation together. Dr. Carol Maher