Police, Parents Concerned About Safety At High School Campus Trump Rally
AMBRIDGE (KDKA) -- After Sunday's debate, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is coming to western Pennsylvania for a rally at Ambridge Area High School.
Though the rally is on Columbus Day, school is in session, which has both police and parents worried about safety.
UPDATE: Ambridge Schools Will Dismiss Students Early Due To Trump Rally
According to his website, Donald Trump's event at the Ambridge high school is scheduled to begin at 3:30 Monday afternoon. The doors open at 12:30 p.m. According to the school district's website, the students will be dismissed 30 minutes early, at 2 p.m. People in the area, including the police chief, believe the classes should be cancelled.
Donald Trump's rally will be inside the field house at the Ambridge Area High School Monday afternoon, but it's what will happen outside, that has Ambridge police chief James Mann concerned.
"It's going to be a logistical nightmare with the school buses, people are going to be getting here early in the morning..." said Chief Mann.
Students at Ambridge Area High School will be class - about 100 yards away from the field house, until 2 p.m. Chief Mann thinks Monday should be a day off.
"My recommendation to the school district is to shut the schools down and if they don't do that, I would advise the parents not to send the kids to school that day, just to err on the side of caution and safety," Chief Mann told KDKA's Lisa Washington.
Cathy Hassick, the mother of a student at the high school, is keeping her son home.
"As a safety concern for children, I would think they would cancel school, but they have not," Hassick said.
The Ambridge school superintendent, Dr. Joseph Dimperio, told KDKA, right now plans are to dismiss the high school students early, but they are "monitoring the situation."
While some people are looking forward to seeing Donald Trump in Ambridge, others aren't.
"He is different, he is not a politician, he has good ideas and I do like it," said Adam Klanica.
"I don't think he's presidential material," said James Gipson.
Added Chief Mann, "We're going to do everything we can, we have extra, outside agencies coming in, state police are dedicating some manpower. We're hoping everything goes off smoothly."
Chief Mann said 17 of the 21 officers on the Ambridge police force will be working Monday. Meanwhile, the school superintendent says if there are any changes made to the schedule for Monday, they will notify parents, students and staff, via their Bridger Blast system.
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