KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — Knox County Schools is conducting an after-action review following last week’s evacuation at Carter Middle School that resulted in 21 students being hospitalized for heat-related illnesses after a bomb threat prompted the school to move students outdoors.
The incident has sparked concerns among parents, some of whom question whether enough was done to protect students during the evacuation.
Katie Schaefer, a Knoxville nurse and parent of two Carter Middle School students, said she rushed to the school after learning about the situation. According to Schaefer, she observed students who appeared to need medical assistance.
“I threw my car in park. I jumped out. I told the cop, I’m a nurse. Can I please come help? Because there was no medical personnel up there. None,” Schaefer said.
School officials and parents differ on how long students remained outside during the evacuation.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office confirmed students were outdoors for about an hour, while Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk said students were provided water and shade during that time.
However, parent Kari Shortt said her experience suggested the evacuation lasted significantly longer.
“From the time I got the first message to the time the kids went back inside, it was two hours,” Shortt said, adding that she repeatedly texted her daughter out of concern as temperatures and time outside continued to increase.
Shortt also disputed the district’s characterization of conditions during the evacuation, saying the description that students were outside for less than an hour with adequate water and shade did not fully reflect what occurred.
Rysewyk has stated that school nurses were present and helping evaluate and treat students who became ill while students were gathered outdoors.
In response to the incident and public concern, the school district has ordered an after-action review to examine how the emergency response unfolded and identify possible improvements.
In a statement, a Knox County Schools spokesperson said Superintendent Rysewyk directed the district’s Safety Department over the weekend to conduct the review.
“This was a situation with multiple moving parts with school administration split between navigating the situation on the evacuation site and the security sweep of the school,” the district said.
District officials said they do not expect additional information until staff and students return from the long holiday weekend.
The district emphasized that reviewing emergency responses is standard practice following significant incidents.
“Any time we are confronted with a challenge like this, our next steps will always be to review what happened and identify opportunities to improve our response protocols,” the district said.
The after-action review is expected to examine evacuation procedures, communication, medical response and overall emergency management during the incident.
