COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A storm of high winds toppled trees and caused power outages around Central Ohio, leaving some schools without power Wednesday night.
But not every district without power canceled class Thursday.
A viewer wrote to NBC 4 asking why Columbus City Schools held classes in buildings that were left in the dark after the storm.
"Our lights are out because of the power outages. So basically all the kids are in the gym conversing, things of that sort," said Candace Milner, an Eastmoor Academy High School freshman.
Milner spent a half-day of class in the dark, and it was a similar story for other schools.
Buckeye Middle, Cedarwood Elementary and A.G. Bell schools were all in the dark Thursday.
Jeff Warner with Columbus City Schools said that four of its 128 buildings are without power, and another six only had partial power. But school went on.
One of the questions raised by parents: Are kids safe in a school without power?
"They are. We do have security lighting in our schools. We also have 911 service and obviously many of our staff members have cell phones," Warner said.
Another question: How much are kids really learning in a dark classroom?
"A lot of people are in the gym playing basketball. Earlier, we were all playing group games," Milner said.
"If we don't have power in our school, it's likely there's not power in the neighborhood as well. So it's probably safer for kids to be at school where they're monitored, than to potentially be at home by themselves without power," Warner said.
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