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A RESOLUTION expressing sympathy to the citizens of the Commonwealth 1
affected by the historic December 2021 tornado outbreak and honoring the many acts of 2
kindness provided to the impacted communities and school districts by school personnel. 3
WHEREAS, on December 10 and 11, 2021, a historic tornado outbreak, including a 4
violent, 165.7-mile tornado, moved across Western Kentucky producing severe to 5
catastrophic damage in numerous communities, killing at least 77 Kentuckians, including 6
12 children and an infant, and leaving countless people in those communities injured and 7
without homes, jobs, or even minimal necessities; and 8
WHEREAS, the impact of the tornado outbreak was vast in Barren, Caldwell, 9
Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, 10
Muhlenberg, Ohio, Taylor, and Warren counties; and 11
WHEREAS, immediately after the tornadoes touched down, school personnel, 12
without solicitation or regard for their own needs and situations, began to do what they do 13
best – provide support to their students, their families, and their communities; and 14
WHEREAS, school personnel almost instantly went door to door to check on 15
students and families and to get victims to safety and, at least in one instance, set up a 16
triage center in a school; and 17
WHEREAS, within hours after the tornadoes touched down, school personnel had 18
opened school facilities as temporary shelters and were helping with rescue efforts. They 19
rode to devastated homes to offer victims shelter on the buses or transportation to 20
temporary shelters; and 21
WHEREAS, there were countless examples of school personnel taking care of the 22
community, including a teacher staying at a hospital with a student injured in the storm 23
and a bus driver rescuing neighbors buried in the rubble; and 24
WHEREAS, as the hours and days went by in the aftermath of the storm, the 25
selfless actions by school personnel continued, including school cafeteria workers 26
providing hot meals, bus drivers delivering food and supplies to families, family resource 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1537
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staff setting up daycares, and mental health professionals providing counseling for anyone 1
in need; and 2
WHEREAS, wherever school personnel and school families saw a need, they were 3
there to help, including gathering donations, setting up donation sites, and helping 4
families in need find new homes, appliances, and furnishings; and 5
WHEREAS, in the hours, days, and weeks that followed, school personnel and 6
others gave generously of time, money, and resources with far-reaching acts of kindness 7
coming from across the state, the nation, and the world, including search and rescue 8
efforts, providing shelter, and donating money and necessities; and 9
WHEREAS, within hours of the tragedy, financial donations started pouring into 10
the communities, and caravans of school buses, vans, trucks, and cars loaded with 11
supplies came from all regions of the state; and 12
WHEREAS, on December 20, the "Stuff the Bus" campaign culminated with a 13
caravan of 65 buses filled from top to bottom with supplies traveling from eastern 14
Kentucky to western Kentucky; and 15
WHEREAS, before Christmas, school districts supported numerous toy drives by 16
collecting toys, books, electronics, and gift cards to provide happiness and hope for the 17
children impacted by the storms. Prior to Christmas, and even through Christmas Eve, 18
staff of education cooperatives, school personnel, and other community volunteers 19
assisted with the toy and gift deliveries; and 20
WHEREAS, when schools reopened in the devastated communities, school districts 21
around the state donated or loaned school buses to the districts that suffered damage to or 22
lost their buses in the storm, helped transport students, and shared needed school 23
supplies; and 24
WHEREAS, amid the deep sadness and devastation, the statewide school family 25
pulled together to aid students and families, reaffirming the belief that the school system 26
is the heart and spirit of the community; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 22 RS BR 1537
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NOW, THEREFORE, 1
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 2
Kentucky: 3
Section 1. The Senate extends its utmost gratitude to the school personnel who 4
so selflessly and without solicitation assisted the citizens of the Commonwealth who 5
were impacted by the devastating tornadoes and who gave of their time and resources 6
alongside first responders, private agencies, churches, businesses, manufacturers, 7
organizations, and other individuals. 8
Section 2. The Senate extends its heartfelt gratitude to the superintendents of 9
the school districts in the counties impacted by the tornadoes for their leadership 10
including: Patrice Chambers, Fulton County; DeAnna Miller, Fulton Independent; Casey 11
Henderson, Hickman County; Matthew Madding, Graves County; Joe Henderson, 12
Mayfield Independent; Steve Miracle, Marshall County; Jeremy Roach, Caldwell County; 13
Leonard Whalen, Dawson Springs Independent; Amy Michele Smith, Hopkins County; 14
Christopher Bentzel, Christian County; Robert Davis, Muhlenberg County; Seth 15
Southard, Ohio County; Paul M. Mullins, Logan County; Larry Begley, Russellville 16
Independent; Rob Clayton, Warren County; Gary Fields, Bowling Green Independent; 17
Nathan Smith, Hart County; Cornelius Faulkner, Caverna Independent; Keith Hale, 18
Glasgow Independent; Bo Matthews, Barren County; Charles Higdon Jr., Taylor County; 19
Kirby Smith, Campbellsville Independent; Boyd Randolph, Marion County; and Russ 20
Tilford, Lyon County. 21
Section 3. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 22
Resolution to Dr. Jim Flynn, Executive Director, Kentucky Association of School 23
Superintendents, 87 C Michael Davenport Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601 and 24
Commissioner Jason Glass, Kentucky Department of Education, 300 Sower Boulevard, 25
5th Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. 26