Ambridge Schools Will Dismiss Students Early Due To Trump Rally
AMBRIDGE (KDKA) – After police and parents raised concerns about safety, Ambridge Area School District announced Sunday that students will be dismissed early Monday due to a Donald Trump rally later that afternoon.
The Ambridge Area School District now says high school and junior high school students will be dismissed at 11 a.m. and elementary school students will be dismissed at noon.
Trump is scheduled to appear at a rally held inside the field house at the Ambridge Area High School at 3:30 p.m. Monday. The doors open at 12:30 p.m.
Initially, the school district planned to dismiss students at 2 p.m. Police and parents both expressed that they believed classes should be cancelled, especially concerning police expect a large protester presence outside the field house.
Lisa Washington's Report:
Now, students will be released before doors for the event open.
Supporters of Donald Trump were inside the high school field house all day Sunday in preparation for Monday's rally. KDKA was told about 3,000 people are expected to attend the rally with another 1,000 people expected to be protesting outside.
Secret service had the building on lockdown by Sunday afternoon. Only campaign workers were allowed in and out.
The area around the high school could be chaotic come Monday afternoon. Supporters and protesters will join students getting dismissed from school just hours before the rally is set to begin.
"I think I would have probably voted for cancelling, but I understand it may have been hard for them to not make up that day somewhere else in the school year," parent Jessica Whitaker said.
Sources say the area directly in front of the field house will be off-limits and protesters will be held across the street. Congressional canddiate Erin McClelland, Pennsylvania Federation of Teachers President Nina Esposito, National Organization for Women (NOW) activists and the Women of Steel are planning to protest the event, according to NOW president Terry O'Neill.
Registration for the rally is now closed. If you haven't signed up, you won't get in.
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