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I am writing to follow up on last Tuesday’s serious incident at the high school requiring an evacuation of the school for approximately 90 minutes. The investigation has been completed, the individuals responsible have been identified, and disciplinary proceedings are ongoing.
This incident may have been intended as a prank or practical joke; however, the district has taken it extremely seriously. The school was immediately evacuated, and dozens of law enforcement officers and tactical specialists arrived at the high school to investigate.
Thankfully, it was determined that there was no threat, and activities at the high school were allowed to resume. However, I want to underscore the enormity of this incident and the dangers of this type of “prank.” Additionally, I'd like to emphasize that when an incident takes place that involves law enforcement, those officials advise us as to what we can share publicly and when we can share it.
This incident also highlights the importance of our partnerships with local law enforcement and the district's safety consultant, Altaris. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of the three critical areas Altaris continues to collaborate on with the district:
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Preparedness and Prevention -- Refining prevention and threat assessment procedures, stressing the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between students, staff and parents to identify warning signs of potential violence or students who may be in crisis.
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Emergency Response -- Ensuring efficient management of any incidents, with comprehensive training of administrators and School Emergency Response Teams. Training allows key school personnel to develop a high level of confidence and proficiency in managing incidents in their buildings.
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Post-Incident Recovery -- Effectively managing communication and reunifying students directly with parents/guardians, while maintaining contingency plans to resume the business of education.
In the weeks ahead, our high school and middle school SROs will be working with their respective principals and assistant principals to arrange meetings with all students to remind them that if they see something that doesn’t seem right, they should say something to an adult. We will also be reminding students that these types of pranks or false alarms not only violate the district’s Code of Conduct but may subject students to criminal charges.
The safety of our students remains our top priority. Be assured that we will continue to follow the disciplinary protocol that is outlined in the district’s Code of Conduct.
Regards,
Joseph E. Hochreiter
Superintendent
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