At the end of any given day, at the corner of County Roads E and K in Hartland, Wisconsin you'll see Custodian Jeffrey Grunwald, Superintendent Melissa Thompson, and Principal Adam Scanlan directing traffic and leading families safely out of their parking lot at Swallow School District. From 4K-8th-Grade... students, cars, and buses pour out - unless there are cows in the way!
On the afternoon of January 7, 2021, just as the buses departed school the call came on the radios that cows from the farm across the street were out and on the run in traffic. Superintendent Thompson and Custodian Grunwald sprang into action, running to catch up with the cows and 'steer' them back to safety in their barn. Principal Scanlan took the helm stopping traffic keeping kids and cars away from cows until everything was under control.
Parents, at first frustrated by the traffic jam, quickly began smiling and snapping pictures and video of the adventure until cars could begin "moo-ving" again.
Superintendent Thompson joked, "After more than 20 years figuratively 'herding cattle' as an administrator, this girl from St. Louis who grew up in a neighborhood that was nothing like a farm, can now say I have actually done it! What a year--construction, COVID, and now cows!"
Custodian Jeffrey Grunwald noted that "Only in Wisconsin would this be the reason for an end-of-the-day traffic jam at school."