Hello all. I am a junior in high school and I was just wondering how badly gradutaion for the class of 2000 will be affected by this whole Y2K thing. Thanks for your time.

-- Casey C. (nimrod316@yahoo.com), September 07, 1998

Answers

I can understand your concerns. My youngest daughter will graduate in 2000 also. She has the same concerns as you. We have moved up a number of her activities so she has a chance to do things just in case Y2k is extremely bad. She barrel races and was going to start rodeoing next year, but we started late this summer instead. She already had extra credits towards graduation and is carrying a very heavy load this year so that she could graduate early if she chooses. I think she just wants to be able to say that she met the criteria to graduate if there is no graduation for the class of 2000.

All of our kids know that I think Y2k will be very difficult, but as a mother I want them to do things now because they may not have the chance later. They come home on a regular basis to help out and all have good skills that will help in the future, so I can give them a little time to live their lives in a somewhat "normal" way.

To answer your question, if the gas and electric utilities go down, along with the phone system and banking, there will be school after January 1, 2000. The problem is that no one knows for sure exactly what will happen. We are all making our best guess with information available.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), September 07, 1998.

I agree. The schools here are very sensitive to "emotional" pressure aout recieving kids into class if they "feel" unsafe about conditions. Take your SAT's early (Oct, Nov), and plan on reading in Jan. You will learn more anyway.

Don't worry about graduation: diploma, robes and tassles - those are only symbols of your knowledge. Your preparedness and awareness (by asking this question) show me you have already "graduated" into an adult. The paperwork from the HS will catch up eventually with you.

If real problems occur, the biggest hassle might be the school districts being able to get word out that "school is closed" = no power, no phones, no radio 'school closing" announcements, (no power to receive word ...., no busses, no bus gasoline,...

I think just mentioning ahead of time (Nov, Dec) that there might be no fire alarms, no lights, no power, no water would be enough to scare school administrators about shutting everything down.

Of course, they aren't listening now...

Also: We are very active in the band here (HS and MS). I don't know about other families, but I don't recommend sending familiy or groups of kids on long holiday trips (band trips, skiing trip, see grandmother trips, etc.) over those holidays. A "gas scare" could leave you isolated on the side of the road with no fuel, or on the road with no way to pay for emergency repairs, blocked by snow, etc.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 08, 1998.

Even if concerns about whether schools will operate if most of the infrastructure is shut down turn out to be overly pessimistic, there surely will be financial problems for schools. Many school districts are already struggling financially. Recent news stories indicate that it is going to be costly for school districts to become Y2k compliant in their systems. A story about a month ago from Philadelphia said that they would have an expense of $38 million to replace systems. Another story a few days ago from the state of Georgia said that millions had been spent so far and many millions more were needed to help schools get Y2k compliant. <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>.

-- Dan Hunt (dhunt@hostscorp.com), September 08, 1998.

We will be preparing for a long period of time without schools just in case. Things like (remember these?) BOOKS, atlas, dictionary, novels, writing paper and pencils, etc. will potentially be important tools for home schooling or extended community home schooling -- meaning neighbors in close proximity sharing educational responsibilities for their children. In fact, following the Montessori model, we will probably end up with the old one-room schoolhuse again...children of various ages working at their own pace and cooperatively, and hellping each other. HELPING EACH OTHER OUT may become the true model for all life post y2k. One of the few positive effects, perhaps.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@ptd.net), September 09, 1998.

And Abe Lincoln didn't do too bad with only a shovel to write on, and charcoal as a "pencil". Casey, you'll do fine. Keep your head up, focus on the long-term.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 09, 1998.

Actually, one of my "barter goods" on my barter list is tutoring children in the event the schools are closed. We homeschool already, why not use those teaching skills as a medium of exchange?

-- Timothy Rebman (trebman@megavision.com), September 13, 1998.