Parents Meet With School Officials Following Student's Death

Tuesday, August 28th 2007, 3:37 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Administrators at a school where a student drowned during a cross-country training run have agreed to demands from parents that running trails be examined for safety before students are asked to use them, a school spokesman said Tuesday.

Parents met with officials at Putnam City West High School on Monday night to discuss the death of Phillip Jones, 17, a member of the cross-country team who disappeared on Aug. 22 while running on a trail alongside muddy, rain-swollen Lake Overholser. His body was recovered a day later.

``It was an emotional meeting,'' school spokesman Steve Lindley said. ``Parents had an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions.''

Administrators agreed to parental requests that the safety of trails be checked before members of the cross-country team train on them, he said. The trail Phillip was using crossed a spillway that had been partially flooded when the gates of a nearby flood-control structure were opened.

Officials also agreed to equip coaches at Putnam City West with communications devices so they can talk to each other when students are training, Lindley said.

Putnam City officials expect to have more discussions with parents about student safety and more guidelines may be implemented, he said.

Phillip, a senior at Putnam City, disappeared when he and other cross-country runners were on a routine run and found one of its routes, a trail around the lake, under waist-deep water, authorities said.

They tried to swim to the other side, but the current dragged them into deeper water and Jones was not able to make it out, rescue officials said. Two other boys managed to get out of the lake.

Divers searched the lake for more than 24 hours before locating the student's body on Thursday. As many as 10 divers participated in the search and battled poor visibility as well as strong currents and debris, officials said.

Meanwhile, family members gathered outside the Fairview Baptist Church Tuesday to thank rescue workers and others for their efforts. Religious services for Phillip are scheduled at the church on Wednesday.

``From our heart we thank the divers who risked their own safety,'' said Kathy Smith, a family spokeswoman.

Smith described Phillip as ``a fun-loving person'' who ``had a great sense of humor.'' She said his goal was to become a cross-country runner on the collegiate level.

Lindley said at least 150 Putnam City West students plan to attend Phillip's funeral. The school has arranged for buses to take them to and from the church and other students may attend on their own in private vehicles.

Members of the cross-country team plan to wear a black band on their jerseys during the upcoming season, Lindley said.

In addition, Lindley said Putnam City students are raising funds with the sale of T-shirts that bear the slogan: ``If there's no track in heaven, then I don't want to go there.'' Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will go to Phillip's family.

Phillip is the second Putnam City West student to die this school year, Lindley said. Thomas Glenn, a 14-year-old freshman at Putnam City, was killed on Aug. 7 when he was run over by a dump truck as he was walking or jogging alone on an Oklahoma City trail to get in shape for football season.

8/23/2007 Emergency Workers Recover Body Of Missing Teen

8/22/2007 Authorities Look For Teen Who Slipped Into Lake