Back to Basics: A Case Study in Natural Disaster Planning

 

When Hurricane Sandy hit the coast of New Jersey in 2012, Seaside Heights Elementary School jumped on a fast track to reopening, thanks to planning and preparation.

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Seaside Heights Elementary School was closed for eight months due to the devastation from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Photo by Kevin O’Shea. 
Maria A. Parry, CPA, SFO

 Published June 2025

Seaside Heights, located in Ocean County, New Jersey, is a barrier island known for its boardwalk, beaches, and carousel. Seaside Heights Elementary School, housing grades K–6, opened in 1926 and was rebuilt in the 1960s. After sixth grade, the students attend Central Regional School District schools.

In October 2012, the National Weather Service reported that a hurricane had formed in the central Caribbean and was tracking north across Jamaica, Eastern Cuba, and the Bahamas. Hurricane Sandy moved northeast, transitioning into a post-tropical cyclone and turning toward the U.S. coast. Storm warnings were posted, and mandatory evacuations of Seaside Heights were ordered on the 27th. Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, on the evening of October 29.

Aftermath of the Storm 

Seaside Heights Elementary School took in three inches of water during the storm, ruining the floors and much of the building's contents. Utilities were down. The island was closed to the public.  

Kevin O’Shea, school business administrator of both Seaside Heights and Central Regional School District, was able to retrieve computers, a server, a printer, and other business office equipment and move his office to the nearby Central Regional School District.  

About a week after the storm, O’Shea, the board president, and law enforcement entered the building to assess the damage. O’Shea contacted the district’s insurance company, and ultimately, through disaster recovery insurance coverage, flooring, fixtures, HVAC units, and roofing were covered at 100% and replaced.

Because the island was closed to the public for eight months, all 232 students were considered homeless. They relocated to a wing of the high school in the Central Regional School District. The elementary school district was not charged for using the building, as the students who attend Seaside Heights Elementary move on to Central Regional to continue their education anyway. The school district did pay Central Regional for additional bus routes that were needed to shuttle the students to the high school.  

Education organizations from New Jersey and the United States generously donated to the school district to help open the school as quickly as possible. The ability to utilize co-ops for vendor repairs, along with a generous donation of surplus classroom furniture from another school district, accelerated the school's reopening.  

Seaside Heights Elementary reopened in September 2013.

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Damage to Seaside Heights Elementary School’s main gym. Photo by Kevin O’Shea 

20/20 Lookback 

O’Shea recommends the following “checklist” items in preparation/planning for a natural disaster:  

  • Have financial reserves for cash flow if maintenance/capital repairs are needed. 

  • Make sure the district insurance is accurate. 

  • Establish a game plan, beginning with shutting down the district and establishing steps to get the district reopened. 

  • Create folders (electronic or manual) of phone/cell numbers and emails to contact, such as insurance, architect, and remediation companies. 

  • Consider hiring an architect or other professionals to manage the project. 

  • Have a list of vendors (HVAC, plumbing, general work) willing to work with the district as part of the remediation process. 

  • Use plastic storage bins to preserve supplies, equipment, and records.  

  • Ask for help. 

If the district does have an event, be prepared to activate the resources quickly.  

Summary 

Climate change is real. Preparing for the new normal of storms, excessive heat, excessive cold, and everything in between will empower the business official to keep school open and costs down.  

Author Note: Thank you to Kevin O’Shea, CPA, business administrator at Central Regional School District and shared business administrator at Seaside Heights Elementary School, for his insights.

About the Author:

Maria A. Parry, CPA, SFO

Maria Parry is the school business administrator for Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. She is also a member of the ASBO International Editorial Advisory Committee.

Email: mparry@monmouthregional.net

  

   

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