S. Ripley Principal Bob Meyer called yesterday’s tragic loss of three teens from his school as “devastating. “
He was about to speak to the student body at 8 a.m. to update them on the loss of their teens, although he said funeral arrangements are still pending for the three.
The principal, unfortunately, has been through similar tragedies before. Last May they lost student Emily Mathes from an ATV accident. This January, 17 year old Matt Willman died suddenly.They also lost a student Tanner Tucker a few years ago from a fatal car accident.
In describing the atmosphere this morning, Meyer said, “There’s a big difference. It’s very quiet,” he said, adding no one is joking or laughing in the hallways as the kids typically do. “There’s lots of tears.”
He expected attendance to be down too, particularly among the FFA students. The students killed in the accident were all FFA members and helping at a breakfast event that morning. “They were pretty shot emotionally,” Meyer said.
He was already impressed with how the staff was handling the situation. “They are professional, and I told them to just be compassionate, be very compassionate.”
No word yet on any type of group memorial, although a few hundred students met last night at a local restaurant to remember their friends.