FEATURE ARTICLE
Rising above the storm By Roger White
Roger White is managing
“Together we will rebuild and be stronger than ever. Our #OFAM (Orangefield Family) is BOBCAT STRONG! Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are displaced. Be safe, and may God bless each of you.” — Message on the Orangefield ISD website, September 6, 2017
editor of Texas Lone Star, a publication of the Texas Association of School Boards.
Editor’s note: In late August, Hur-
Harvey’s landfall during the last week
and drive me to the schools. It became
ricane Harvey came ashore along the
of August for authorities to assess the
our routine that they pick me up at 7
Texas Gulf Coast, causing great destruc-
damage, as most roads in the area
a.m. and return around 4 p.m. each
tion and catastrophic flooding to some
were either underwater or blocked
evening. I am forever grateful to those
220 school districts and their communi-
by debris.
who gave me a ride.”
ties in more than 50 counties. As cities
“The majority of our communi-
As the Orangefield ISD admin-
and towns on the coast continue clean-
ty was hit extremely hard by Harvey.
istrative team endeavored to stay in
up and recovery efforts, schools and
Many are in shelters and will be out
contact with all members during the
districts all across Texas have pitched in
of their homes for months,” Orange-
early stages of the hurricane, one-
to help their fellow schools. This is one
field ISD Media Liaison Heggie Coulter
by-one, team members’ homes suc-
district’s story — that of Orangefield ISD.
reported just days after the storm. “All
cumbed to the storm waters.
three of our campuses have storm
“As various administrative team
bout 12 miles east of Beau-
damage and are still filled with flood-
members’ homes began to flood, they
mont , t he c om mu n it y of
waters. Our leader, [Superintendent]
would notify us all. Five administra-
Orangefield, a tight-knit town with
Stephen Patterson, truly cares about
tors received flood damage,” Patterson
just under 1,800 district students,
our staff, students, and this communi-
recalled. “Two of our team members
sits amid the pines and wetlands that
ty. He has spent countless hours rescu-
lived within a few miles of my home.
border the Lower Neches Wildlife
ing families and providing shelter and
My home did not flood. However,
Area. Mostly rural and blue-collar,
basic necessities to our community.”
we were cut off by roads that were
it’s a community where everyone
Patterson, who began assessing
knows everyone else’s kids, and
the damage by hitching a ride aboard
When notified that Orangefield
neighbors are as close as kin.
a military vehicle, immediately went
Junior High Assistant Principal Rea
to work.
Wrinkle and his family were vacating
A
In fact, the word “family” is used often here to describe the townspeople’s sentiment for one another.
22
“Because of the extreme flooding, I was only able to access the school
impassable due to the waters.”
their flooded home and heading to a shelter, Patterson intervened.
The bonds of this family of
site via Army truck,” Patterson said.
“Honestly, I couldn’t stand the
friends and neighbors were tested
“These trucks are known as ‘deuce-
idea of one of my team being housed
severely when Orangefield was prac-
and-a-halfs’ because of their payload
in a shelter,” Patterson said. “We
tically submerged by Hurricane Har-
capacity of 5,000 pounds. The Army
coordinated a plan to have him walk
vey recently. It took several days after
truck would pick me up at my house
with his family to a point where I
THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL / JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018