At Berkeley High, false fire alarms are disrupting class and vexing school officials

"At Berkeley High, about 3,200 students plus staff are required to evacuate to the football field whenever a fire alarm is set off. The process takes at least half an hour, according to teachers, disrupting classroom time. False fire alarms at Berkeley High are triggering mandatory evacuations to the football field and cutting into class time on a regular basis, leaving students and teachers frustrated, and administrators searching for answers."

"There's nothing more important than keeping kids in class and providing instruction. In an op-ed shared with Berkeleyside, BHS teachers urged the district to find a long-term solution to reduce false alarms. Educators said these incidents cut into instructional time, as 3,200 students plus staff are required to evacuate to the football field, which takes about half an hour on a good day, when everything is working smoothly."

Berkeley High has experienced 14 fire alarms in the first two months of the school year, 12 of which were deemed non-emergencies. Each alarm triggers a mandatory evacuation of roughly 3,200 students and staff to the football field, a process teachers report takes at least half an hour and disrupts class periods that run 40 to 60 minutes. Teachers describe significant frustration and lost instructional momentum, saying evacuations often consume half a period. Educators have urged the district for a long-term solution to reduce false alarms, and Principal Juan Raygoza issued an apology for the disruptions and fatigue caused.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org