The Recorder on September 24, 2026
Owen Honaker, Eleanor White, Jack Herold, and Adelaide Baxter, members of the Highland High School National Honor Society chapter, helped deliver the emergency buckets to classrooms and common areas throughout the school campus. (Photo courtesy HHS)
MONTEREY — Highland County Public Schools are now even better prepared for emergency situations.
Thanks to the Highland County Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, and Rockingham Cooperative, emergency supplies will be stored in each classroom and common area.
The project’s been in the works for a while, said emergency manager Mike O’Brien.
School principals and teachers were delighted Friday when 32 “emergency buckets” were delivered, at a total cost of about $1,500.
The buckets and lids were donated by Rockingham Cooperative-Ace Hardware. The sheriff’s office donated first aid kits and tourniquets. The LEPC donated things like cushioning for the buckets, duct tape, granola bars, flashlights, tarps, hand sanitizer, cat litter, and light sticks.
Should students be in a lockdown situation, or even a lengthy drill, the ingenious thing about the buckets is they can be used for toileting. As high school principal Richard Miller noted, children might get stuck in rooms for too long without access to a bathroom.
Each of the 32 buckets contains emergency supplies, snacks, tarping, flashlights, a first aid kit, and more. (Recorder photo by Anne Adams)
O’Brien explained the buckets can be lined at the bottom with the cat litter, and the soft “noodle” can be attached to the thin edges of the bucket to sit. The tarp can be taped up to provide privacy. The schools are adding toilet paper to each bucket as well.
The schools may add things like extra snacks, water bottles, toys or games, and other items to help keep children quiet.
O’Brien was impressed with how everyone came together. “This was really a ‘whole community’ approach,” he said, noting the generosity of the donations and time to assemble and deliver the buckets.
The idea is not a new one, said Sheriff Bob Kelly, but the buckets were something the schools have needed.
Miller said he will have students with the National Honor Society chapter help assemble them further and distribute them to classrooms and other areas of the school where students congregate.
Emergency manager Mike O’Brien is joined by Sheriff Bob Kelly, far left, and school principals Ali Williams and Richard Miller, at right. Two state police officers helped unload the buckets into the high school library. (Recorder photo by Anne Adams)
He noted one of the schools’ recent drills lasted about 30 minutes, and the buckets will help if there’s an emergency that could last hours.
Kelly explained that if such an emergency arises where the school must be secured with students locked in classrooms, sheriff’s deputies, police, and other responders must proceed with caution — assessing and controlling the situation and making sure everyone is safe before they could evacuate students — and that could take time. “We have to make sure we protect evidence if there’s a crime, too,” he said, but noted they would always evacuate students as quickly as they could when it’s safe to do so.
And since students must be quiet, teachers keep bags of things like lollipops and gum in each classroom, Williams said, which could also be added to the buckets. She explained that especially for younger kids, that’s a way to help them stay quiet.
Miller said the schools will communicate with families to make sure parents are aware of what could happen in emergency situations. He heard a phrase that stuck with him, he said. “We want them to be aware, not scared.”
Williams noted the schools had participated in an “I Love You Guys” training model they found very helpful.
The I Love You Guys Foundation provides programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification in schools and other organizations. The programs focus on preparedness and effective communication.
“Communication is everything,” Kelly added.
“I so appreciate these,” said Williams of the emergency buckets, noting teachers have wanted some ever since they got their training.
Kelly lamented the fact that Highland’s school division remains the only one left in Virginia without a School Resource Officer and feels that makes this division a target that could be considered “weak.” He is not hopeful the General Assembly will come up with enough money when it convenes next year to help provide one.
Without an SRO on campus during school days, Kelly has made it a priority for his deputies to check on the schools every morning and every evening, and often during school hours. And his deputies train at the campus every Sunday with other emergency personnel, so the law enforcement presence there is strong. “Anyone who wants to come here and do something bad is going to face a world of hurt,” he said.
O’Brien reiterated how impressed he is when Highland County folks come together to make something happen like providing the buckets. “This really is a special place,” he said.
“Keeping these resources in every classroom will allow teachers to provide for basic needs while maintaining a safe and secure environment until an all-clear is given,” said superintendent Dr. Nick Nycum. “We hope these supplies are never needed, but this initiative is another proactive step toward improving emergency preparedness and supporting the safety of our students and staff. We would like to extend a special thank you to the Local Emergency Planning Committee for generously donating its time and funding to make this important safety initiative possible.”