Furious parents took to social media after MCPS canceled school on Monday, November 28, due to a plane crash in Gaithersburg. The plane was a small two-seater that had taken off from Westchester, New York. Both passengers sustained injuries and were hospitalized for treatment.

The crash damaged power lines, causing many homes and buildings, including 44 of 210 MCPS schools, to lose power. PEPCO initially predicted that power would return around 6 pm on the 28th, but it was actually restored hours before school would have started on the morning of the 28th.

One parent retorted on Twitter: “If there is power in the school, my children need to be there learning.”
However, MCPS school also faced problems with HVAC systems, food supplies, and water systems, as staff was not prepared to get in early to create the right environment for students. Nevermind why, with some high schools starting at early hours, it would have been difficult to reverse McKinght’s initial closure of schools because many students and families decided to sleep in.

Some students didn’t react as passionately as parents did. B-CC junior Noah Light expressed, “That pilot took one for the team.”