You are looking at the first school district in the state of Wisconsin to be Storm Ready. That title means this place gets the official nod from the National Weather Service for being prepared in case severe weather strikes.
With all the activities that take place as part of the school year – there’s a pretty good possibility some sort of severe weather could take place while playing ball or walking the hall. So Deb Stolz – Director of Recreation and Community Services -- is one guiding force behind this effort who feels the extra work was worth it.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity to make sure that your plans are safe, they’re updated, you’re keeping your community safe, you’re keeping the students safe, as well," Stolz says.
Getting recognized as Storm Ready from a Federal Agency isn’t an easy task. Business Services Director Pat Miller admits this pioneering pursuit meant jumping through plenty of hoops.
"We’ve taken what we normally do and we’ve just ramped it up. We’ve just increased our ability to monitor and assess and address the situations. Everybody does it. We just wanted to make sure we’re doing it better," Miller says.
Meantime – many parents – like the Veaseys -- who learn about the achievement -- seem honored and a bit more comfortable – knowing there’s a plan in place – just in case.
Shorewood is just the eleventh school district in the entire nation to be–Storm Ready – and National Weather Service leaders hope examples like this encourage others to pursue what one day could be – a life saving designation.
