The incident at the elementary school on Tuesday was an emotional one for our staff, students, and especially our families. I want you to know that we are working to ensure children feel safe in the classroom, and that you know we are prioritizing your child's safety. This included a debriefing with staff at the end of the school day on Tuesday as we prepared for students' return to the classroom today.
We are constantly working behind the scenes to review our safety plans and school security. Our staff has just completed ALICE training. We maintain strong relationships with our local police and fire departments and work with them when developing safety plans and reviewing building security. We are still meeting about the incident on Tuesday to determine if there is anything we could have done better.
The most important partnership we have regarding student safety is with you. I urge you to have a conversation with your child. Let your child know that if they see something that appears dangerous or makes them uncomfortable, they should say something. If they are at school, they should immediately tell a teacher or other staff member.
All of our schools have a team of mental health professionals and counselors. If you feel that your child needs help, do not hesitate to reach out to your child's school office. There are many resources available to you, and we are here to help.
Although we cannot comment on the current investigation, I can tell you that this behavior will absolutely not be tolerated. Bringing a weapon to school or making a threat to a student or staff member is a high-level felony. It does not matter what age the individual is. We will support the prosecution of anyone who brings a weapon to school or threatens our students or staff.
I have seen some questions and comments from our parents/guardians and the community, and I want to address two of them.
Why did you wait so late to contact parents/guardians?
When an incident at a school occurs, I have two choices:
I begin making phone calls and sending notifications to parents/guardians before responding to the incident.
I immediately respond to the incident and ensure everyone is safe. That would include your child, all the other students, and all our staff members. When I am certain that everyone is safe, I begin messaging.
I will always choose option 2. Always. District administrators, along with me, immediately respond to any threat and prioritize the safety of all students, including your child, and staff.
The messaging for this incident began shortly before school dismissal time, but it was not delayed due to the time of day. It began as quickly as we knew the situation was contained and that your child was safe.
Why will the district not be making further comments?
Once an active police investigation begins, we fully cooperate with law enforcement; however, we are not informed about what is happening in the investigation. We can only tell you what occurred and how we responded. We are always as transparent as possible with the information we have.
Keeping students safe will always be a priority for me and for all of our school staff.
I appreciate the parents who have reached out to me. I would also like to remind you that social media is not the place to do fact-checking. I am always willing to speak with you if you have a specific concern.
I will also be communicating with you periodically as I continue publishing Keeping Our Students Safe throughout the remainder of the school year.
Reminder -- Safety begins at home. Weapons should always be appropriately locked away in the house. This would include the child’s home and any home a child may visit. Keeping children safe should be a priority for all of us.
Dr. Andrea Townsend, Superintendent