Private schools preparing ahead of Earl

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - As Hurricane Earl inches closer to Hampton Roads, private schools, many of which are already in session, are making preparations. Those along the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach are paying extra attention to the storm's path.

Among those schools is Star of the Sea Catholic School , where principal Dr. Cathryn Whisman is keeping a close eye on the radar.

"We take it seriously, we have plans in place. And whenever a storm is coming up we prepare our classrooms, make sure everything's covered," Dr. Whisman said. "We're always worried about the weather, especially our location."

That location is just a couple of blocks from the ocean, which is prime for summer beachgoers, but not so ideal during hurricane season. Dr. Whisman insists if Earl's winds or surge pose a threat, she won't hesitate to call off school.

"We hopefully will make the call early enough. We're not going to endanger the families. Our main concern is traveling too," she said.

Cape Henry Collegiate parent Cathy Nash isn't too worried.

"Here at Cape Henry they have just tested all of the emergency systems," Nash told WAVY.com.

She trusts that school officials will make the right decision, and thanks to technology, word will travel fast.

As for that coveted Labor Day travel weekend, Nash said, "Well we weren't planning on going away, so no it's not really that inconvenient, it might not mean that we're sitting on the beach on Friday, but they say it will be gone by Saturday. So we'll hope for the best."

And at that little school by the big sea, hoping for the best while preparing for the worst has served them well in the past. "This school has been here for 52 years now and it has weathered many storms," Dr. Whisman told WAVY.com. "So we've been very fortunate, Our buildings have held up very well with the weather down here."

Cape Henry Collegiate's head of school, Dr. Jack Lewis, told WAVY.com the decision to close school will be made after consulting fire and police officials as well as the latest weather reports. He says he's focused not only on parents who have to drop their kids off, but also young drivers who make the commute.

You can find the latest closings and delays on WAVY-TV 10 and right here on WAVY.com .