Beyond the First 48 Hours: Crisis Communication When the Crisis Doesn't End
Date: 7/21/2026
Time: 2:45 - 3:45 PM
Room: Grand Ballroom C (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
LEADERSHIP–Leadership, strategic counseling, management, mentorship in communications and public schools
Session Description
Crisis communication remains a top priority for NSPRA professionals. After years in my role, I thought I had seen it all - but during the 2024-2025 school year, the Allentown School District navigated a multi month disruption at Harrison Morton Middle School that tested every assumption about crisis communication.
What happens when a crisis doesn’t resolve, but evolves? What began as a facility emergency due to flooding quickly became a marathon: an initial relocation, a second emergency relocation of sixth grade when a temporary site failed, coupled with misinformation and prolonged uncertainty. This true testament to what happens when every department - from academics, transportation, food service, facilities, IT, and more works together to meet the needs of students, staff, and families.
Just as the district began to regain community trust, an unexpected resignation from the principal in late May, once again tested its stability. The communications team was tasked with navigating this transition in real-time, ensuring that staff, students, and families felt a sense of continuity and confidence, ending the school year and into the summer months.
A new principal, recruited from a large, nationally recognized district, was introduced in July, and the school year opened under renewed leadership. However, within weeks, a viral social media video involving the new principal surfaced, raising serious concerns across the community. The district responded with urgency and transparency, placing the principal on immediate leave and ultimately navigating a second resignation within a matter of months.
This layered crisis demanded more than just messaging. It required coordinated leadership, rapid response, stakeholder alignment, and an unwavering commitment to protecting students and preserving trust. Through a values-centered approach grounded in clear, proactive, and empathetic communication, the district successfully led the community through uncertainty, demonstrating resilience, accountability, and a long-term focus on stability.
This session moves beyond “the first 48 hours” of crisis response and examines how school communicators sustain trust, clarity, and morale when disruption becomes the norm. Participants will explore how message cadence evolves over time, how transparency operates when there are no definitive answers, and how to balance community fatigue with maintaining credibility.
This session is designed for communicators who are no longer asking “What do we say first?” but “What do we do when it feels like there is no end in sight?”
Presenter(s)
Melissa Reese
Assistant Director of Communications
Allentown School District (PA)
Melissa Reese is the current Assistant Director of Communications for the Allentown School District. ASD is the third-largest urban school district in Pennsylvania, serving over 17,000 students and their families. LinkedIn Profile
Beyond the First 48 Hours: Crisis Communication When the Crisis Doesn't End
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.