Scott Dill’s doorbell rang around 3 a.m. Friday. It was local police. They notified the superintendent of Houston Schools of a tragedy that was unfolding within the boundaries of his district.
Moments later Dill’s phone rang. It was Texas County Sheriff James Sigman, who had more details: multiple people killed by gunshots near Tyrone and the suspect unaccounted for.
“Our immediate concern was, ‘What do we do with school?’ Dill recalled.
Two hours and many conversations later, Dill was notified by authorities that the gunman – 36-year-old Joseph Jesse Aldridge – was dead.
With the threat eliminated, Dill said his focus changed from whether or not to have classes to meeting the needs of the students.
“Our priorities shifted from curriculum to the emotional needs of our students today,” he said.
Dill made an “all-call” to staff members around 6:30 a.m. to alert them of the situation. He said he told them to read the breaking news story on the Houston Herald website and report to their respective building principals when they arrived. Dill requested staff come early.
“We wanted to be prepared for what was obviously going to be a very difficult day,” he said. “We want to make sure we were communicating consistently with the students. What we knew was sketchy at best. I didn’t want speculation or to feed into rumors if we could help it. “
Early Friday afternoon, Dill described students’ demeanors as covering a broad range of emotions throughout the day. Authorities did not make a connection between the murders and the school district.
“We have some students who are visibly upset, others who just look kind of dazed and some who it hasn’t sunk in yet,” he said. “The day-to-day challenges of the classroom are significant. On a day like this, the task is daunting.”