Dear Editor

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our Blanco ISD teachers and administration for their vigilance and concern for the safety of our children. On December 12, 2007 at 7:45 a.m. a car attempted to drive around the barricade of the Elementary school’s bus lane while our buses had their safety red lights flashing indicating that children were in the process of unloading . Mr. McClure (5th grade teacher) who was serving on his morning safety duty, yelled for the person to stop. Mr. McClure approached the car and asked the driver to roll down his window at which time the driver refused to do so. The car backed up and shot across the Elementary School driveway diagonally, putting our children and parents at risk of danger by a stranger unwilling to identify himself. Mr. McClure quickly used the campus radio to notify the front office and Mr. Kvapil (Elementary Principal) of the altercation. Fortunately, Mr. McMain (Blanco’s EMS personnel) was at the school dropping off his child and was informed of the situation in which he immediately contacted the Blanco Police Department. When the Police showed up just moments later, they found the car and driver parked in the back driveway of the school looking very suspicious. At this time the Police, Mr. Kvapil and Mr. McMain approached the vehicle. The man finally identified himself as a “State Transportation Inspector” and indicated to the Policeman that he did NOT need to notify anybody with regards to his intentions on the campus. When asked why there was a camera on his front seat, the man became irate and informed the police that his cover had been blown. In my opinion it seems that the emergency protocol for Blanco Elementary went as smoothly as possible. On behalf of our family, I am thrilled to be in a community where it’s obvious every day that our teachers, administration and community are working together for the welfare of our children. I applaud the awareness and selflessness our teachers display on a day to day basis. It’s wonderful being in a town where our teachers not only know the names of almost every student, recognize the faces of parents and guardians but also know when a “stranger” is lurking. You are all doing a great job. Thank you.

Tressa Savarino

Parent