PARTICIPANT SECTION MITCHELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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1 PARTICIPANT SECTION MITCHELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS North Platte NRD Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan January

2 Overview Mitchell Public Schools participated in this hazard mitigation plan in order to reduce the risk to life for its faculty, staff, and students, as well and to its property from hazards. Their participation was extensive; a representative from Mitchell Public Schools attended every public meeting, met individually with members from the planning team, completed all hazard identification and project identification worksheets, engaged the general public in the planning process, and assisted in interdepartmental coordination and data analysis. For Mitchell Public Schools, the issues of top concern that were identified through this planning process include chemical spills, civil disorder, tornado and severe winter storms. The projects of highest priority identified to address these issues include a tornado safe room, and hail resistant roofing. The following people were heavily involved in the development of Mitchell Public Schools Participant Section: Table XX. The Mitchell Public Schools Plan Contributors Name Title Department / Organization Katherine Urbanek Superintendent Mitchell Public Schools This section contains important localized information about the Mitchell Public Schools relevant to hazard mitigation, including the following elements: Location / Services Demographics Critical Facilities Plan Integration Local Hazards of Concern / Risk Assessment Administration / Capability Assessment Mitigation Actions 2

3 Location / Services Mitchell Schools operates 3 schools across Mitchell. The School provides services to students in the communities of Mitchell, as well as much of Scotts Bluff and Sioux Counties. 3

4 Number Of Students North Platte NRD Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Demographics Figure XX.1: Mitchell Schools Population Number of Students by Grade There are 685 students enrolled in Mitchell Schools. The Mitchell Public Schools also employs XX staff and personnel. There are 375 families within the Mitchell Public School District. Racial Breakdown of Students 5% 1% 22% 72% Caucasian/ White Hispanic More Than One Race African-American The vast majority of students in Mitchell Public Schools are white, followed by Hispanic students occupying the next largest subgroup. According to the local planning team, less than 2% of the students in the school district have limited proficiency in English. During a hazard event, those groups will require additional support to prepare for a natural hazard event. The 2% of students which require additional support would not be able to understand risk communication for storm watches or warnings. 4

5 Critical Facilities The Mitchell Public Schools operates two facilities. These facilities are listed below, along with information indicating the school s address, the year the structure was built, previously hazard damages, it s location in a floodplain, and the structure s value. Table X.1: Mitchell Junior/Senior High School School Mitchell High School Address th Ave, Mitchell, NE Building Construction Date 1927 Date of Building Renovations 1967 Damages None Structure in Floodplain No Number of Students Number of Staff Tornado Safe Rooms None, however the High School is a designated Red Cross Shelter Building Valuation $11,730,000 School Mitchell Elementary School Address th Ave, Mitchell, NE Building Construction Date Date of Building Renovations Damages Structure in Floodplain Number of Students Number of Staff Tornado Safe Rooms Building Valuation $5,903,300 5

6 Table X.2: Mitchell Elementary School School Mitchell Elementary School Address th Ave, Mitchell, NE Building Construction Date 1952 Damages Structure in Floodplain No Number of Students Number of Staff Tornado Safe Rooms None Building Valuation Plan Integration Mitchell Public Schools does maintain a Safety and Crisis Plan, which was last updated in December The manual outlines the chain of command for crisis situations, communication procedures during an emergency, crisis management procedures, safety and emergency precautions and preparedness, and building security. The crisis management procedures section of this plan outlines the procedures for the following events: Fire Chemical Spill / Toxic Fumes Power Outage/Blackout Winter Storm Tornados Flooding Assaults Bomb Threats Intruder or Hostage Situation - Generally School Disturbances dealing with intruders Intruders/Students with Weapons Hostage Situation Protocol Confidentiality of Intruder/Hostage Protocols Disturbances after Hours/School Activities Death of a Student or Staff Member Vicious Animal on School Grounds The Local Planning Team has worked to learn from vulnerabilities seen elsewhere in the country, and respond to them proactively. For instance, the significant tornado events affecting Joplin, Missouri, as well as local events like the Norris High School tornado, and the Wisner tornado. 6

7 Table X.5: Mitchell Schools Risk Assessment HAZARD TYPE Agricultural Animal Disease Agricultural Plant Disease Chemical Spills (Fixed Site) Chemical Spills (Transportation) Civil Disorder Dam Failure Drought Earthquakes Extreme Heat Flooding Grass/Wildfires Hail High Winds Landslides Levee Failure Radiological Incident (Fixed Site) Radiological Incident (Transportation) Severe Thunderstorms Severe Winter Storms Terrorism Tornados Transportation Incidents Urban Fire PREVIOUS OCCURRENCE Yes/No No Yes No No Local Losses Specific Concerns Identified Fracking water storage site will be very close to school district Structural damages, dangerous roadways, freezing temperatures Primarily external threats, school shootings, bomb threats Bodily harm, structure damage The school s superintendent would be main actor in overseeing the implementation of mitigation actions in school facilities. The school currently does a number of education and outreach programs These programs include natural disaster and safety related school programs as well as ongoing public education and information programs. The Mitchell Public Schools also outlines Safety and Security Training of Staff and Students, the schools Crisis Response Team. The school also provide Student Training and Instruction through a Safety and Security Awareness Curriculum. Chemical Spill (Transportation) Mitchell Public Schools is highly concerned about the potential for chemical spills as a result of truck transportation in front of both the Mitchell High School and Elementary Schools. Trucks often travel on 7

8 Highway 26 (19 th Ave in town), which leads directly in front of the school. While the Local Planning Team is concerned about agricultural chemicals, they are much more concerned about fracking fluids, which are regularly transported along this route. The school does not presently have response plans in effect, and would follow the lead of any response personnel in the case of a hazard event. Presently, the legality of disposing of wastewater in Sioux County is being contested in the court system. If the disposal methods continue after litigation, the school district will improve its response plans and emergency exercises to include shelter in place as a result of a chemical event. Civil Disorder/Terrorism The Local Planning Team has indicated that the biggest concern is the potential for an external threat. While the school has not experienced any specific civil disorder threats, concerns from national sources result in concerns within the Mitchell Schools. To improve the schools resilience against a civil disorder or terrorism event, the school regularly goes through trainings for students and staff to go through lock down/evacuation trainings. Recently, the school overhauled the safety program, they installed stronger doors, changed the open door policy to a card-swipe system, and installed cameras at each entrance. Annually, the school invites local law enforcement to help them identify vulnerable areas, and areas of potential concern regarding a terrorist incident; these vulnerable areas are reported directly to administration, to avoid disclosure to students. Tornados When presented with a list of hazards in Nebraska s Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Mitchell Public Schools Local Planning Team identified tornados as a top concern. While the school has not experienced a tornado in the past, they identified tornados as a top concern based on the random nature of these events, and the fact that they are in a tornado prone area. Presently, the school regularly goes through tornado drills, twice a year. Neither the high school, nor the elementary school has below ground shelter for a tornado event. During a tornado drill, high schoolers seek shelter in interior hallways, leaving close to 200 students in hallway corridors. Mitchell Public Schools have invested in weather radios, which let administrators know about inclement weather in advance. To mitigate future hazard events, the school intends to partner with the city to install a safe room between the school building and below the field bleachers. Severe Winter Storm When presented with a list of the hazards in Nebraska s Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Mitchell Public Schools Local Planning Team identified severe winter storms as a top concern. The school experiences severe winter storms annually. The Local Planning Team indicated that severe winter storms are most damaging when the ground has had a chance to thaw, in late March and early April, making gravel roads muddy, and dangerous to traverse. As a result of Mitchell being in a highly rural area of the state, many students need to travel a long distance to get into school every day. The Local Planning Team indicated that the longest commute for a student was 25 miles. For snow removal, the city clears roadways in town, and the state clears major highways in the county, Highway 26 and 29. According to the Local Planning Team, both the city and the state do a good job removing snow in a timely manner. The school s maintenance staff is responsible for removing snow on school grounds when the accumulation is less than three inches, when accumulation is more than three inches, the school subcontracts out to a local snow plow company. 8

9 Mitigation Actions New/Ongoing Mitigation Actions Backup Generator Description Install a stationary source of power at the Mitchell High School Goal/ Objective Goal 2, Objective 2.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Prolonged Power Outage Estimated Cost $50,000 General Fund/ Depreciation Fund 3-5 years Low Lead Agency Mitchell School Superintendent Locations High School Safe Room Description Design and construct fully supplied safe rooms in school facilities. Goal/ Objective Goal 2, Objective 2.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Tornados Estimated Cost $250/sq ft Grant funding, currently cost prohibitive 1-3 years High Lead Agency Mitchell Superintendent, Maintenance Department Locations In between high school and outdoor bleachers Alert/Warning Sirens Description Mitchell Public Schools is looking into an intruder alarm system, this would potentially be a unique alarm sounded over an intercom or potentially a pager-like device which would alert teachers individually of an intruder Goal/ Objective Goal 4, Objective 4.3 Hazard(s) Addressed Civil Disorder/ Terrorism Estimated Cost $1,500 General Fund/Depreciating Fund 1 year Medium/High Lead Agency Mitchell Schools Superintendent, safety commissioner Hail Resistant Roofing Description Outfit elementary school with new, hail resistant roofing, in lieu of the current rock roofing Goal/ Objective Goal 2, Objective 2.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Hail Estimated Cost $125,000 Local funding, tax levy 2-5 years High Lead Agency Maintenance Locations Elementary School Description 9 Community Education Develop and education program to inform residents of risks related to chemical releases. This could include direct outreach to residents living tin the immediate

10 Goal/ Objective Goal 3, Objective 3.1 Hazard(s) Addressed All hazards Estimated Cost $500 General Fund 1-3 years High Lead Agency Mitchell Superintendent Site Security Description In the past, Mitchell Public Schools has worked to improve the strength of external doors, and now is working to improve the strength of internal doors. Goal/ Objective Goal 2, Objective 2.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Civil Disorder/Terrorism Estimated Cost $10,000 General Fund 1-3 years Medium Lead Agency Maintenance Locations High School, Elementary School Facility Lighting Description Mitchell Public Schools is working to improve lighting, to light parking lots outside school, in part to limit potential civil disorder. Goal/ Objective Goal 4, Objective 4.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Civil Disorder/Terrorism Estimated Cost $1,500 General Fund 1 year High Lead Agency Maintenance Department Locations High School Civil Service Improvements Description Assess the need for additional snow removal resources, and purchase snow removal equipment. Goal/ Objective Goal 4, Objective 4.1 Hazard(s) Addressed Severe Winter Storm Estimated Cost $2,000-$8,000 Depreciation Fund 2-4 years Medium Lead Agency Maintenance Department 10

Table G - 6. Mitigation Actions Identified for Implementation by the City of Kent ( ) (From Wilkin County Master Mitigation Action Chart)

Table G - 6. Mitigation Actions Identified for Implementation by the City of Kent ( ) (From Wilkin County Master Mitigation Action Chart) Table G - 6. Actions Identified by the () (From Master Action Chart) Multi-Hazard Plan, 2017 Action Comments 5 All-Hazards Local Planning & Regulations Update the Operations Plan on an annual basis. Work