The 1,000-student Choctaw High School has seen more than its share of tragedies over the last eight years.
Ten teachers and students have died in that time span. Six more have died at Choctaw elementary schools.
The latest death was that of a junior wrestler. Authorities have yet to explain the cause of this death in August.
The district brings counselors and pastors in under a plan to help students cope with grief.
"Unfortunately we've had far too much practice," Superintendent Jim McCharen said after the most recent death. "We've had the procedures down pretty good because we've had to implement them so often."
This calendar year, the district has lost three members. A popular teacher and coach was killed in a motorcycle wreck. A 16-year-old girl died in a car accident, in addition to the death of the junior wrestler. There have been drownings and car wrecks and murders.
McCharen, superintendent since 2002, balks at any notion that bad luck or some unexplained, unknown forces might be behind the deaths. He figures tragedies happen anywhere and everywhere.
The challenge for administrators is to strike a balance between letting the community grieve properly and maintaining order so the school year can continue.
Donny Black, principal at the high school 12 miles east of Oklahoma City, said that with each death, he takes notes on improvements that can be made in crisis management.
Once he jotted down the words "PHONE SYSTEM" after the grieving parents of a deceased student got a call from the school's automated phone system informing them their child hadn't been in school for several days.
Teachers and students from the Choctaw area who have died since 2001 include:
— David Hall, 57, a teacher who drowned while saving a student in 2001.
— Brad Peters, 16, who died in a car accident in 2004.
— Bobby Joe Brantley III, 14, the victim of a homicide in 2005.
— Kayla Farmer, 14, the victim of a homicide in 2006.
— Jamie Cook, 26, who died in a motorcycle accident this year.
— Zachary Austin Keel, 18, who died in a car accident in 2002.
— DeWayne French, 56, who died of natural causes in 2003.
— Michael Murphy, 59, who died of natural causes in 2005.
— Karey Nicole Rolland, 16, who died in a car accident this year.
— Hunter Buck, 17, who died in August. His death is still under investigation.
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Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
