Loyal School District responds to bomb threat
The Loyal School District has enacted extra safety precautions and closed school yesterday in light of a threat that was brought to the school district’s attention last week Monday.
On Monday, Oct. 2, at around 2:45 p.m., school administration was informed of a bomb threat written on the wall in the high school boys’ bathroom.
“Administration called the police and the police were on site immediately and were involved in any decisions that were made thereafter,” wrote District Administrator Chris Lindner in an email.
“Law enforcement and administration determined that there was no immediate danger to students and staff. Per law enforcement we were told continue business as usual, so extra curriculars were allowed to continue.”
The school district informed parents of the situation just after 6 p.m. Oct. 2. The parent message stated what had happened and that extra precautions would be put into place, including, but not limited to, the extended presence of law enforcement on school grounds, as well as less accessibility to the building after school hours.
The entire building was swept that night by the Loyal Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, with nothing found.
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 8:30 p.m., the district sent out another message to parents stating, in part, that “We will continue to have extra measures in place including our police presence and checking backpacks as students enter the building.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 4, at 7:22 p.m. the district sent out a message to parents which stated, “The School District of Loyal and its community has had a strong and reliable relationship over the past many years. We will continue to work together to keep our community and district strong and safe. This message is going out to make our community aware that there are many untrue rumors going around. These are causing harm and are not helping anyone. All threats have been dealt with appropriately, not just this, but in years past. We ask that if you have heard a reliable source with proof that you contact the district office and authorities immediately. If it is something you heard or read on social media not directly from the district, please realize these are not always reliable resources.”
The message also stated that in accordance with law officials’ recommendations, the district would have a different procedure for students entering the school the next day, which would include a bag/backpack check.
On Thursday, Oct. 5, at 1:17 p.m., the district sent out the following message to parents: “This morning, as part of our ongoing protective safety measures we modified our procedures for entering the building. At 6 a.m. Wood County explosive ordinance K9 handler swept the entire school building with no findings. Starting at 7:50 a.m. all MS (middle school) and HS (high school) student bags were scanned by the K9 handler before entering the building and again their bags were searched by staff Loyal threat,
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when entering the building. All elementary student bags were placed in the elementary gym while the students went to breakfast and their classrooms. Their bags were also scanned by the K9 handler, with no students present while this was taking place. The procedures today are part of our ongoing safety precautions. There have been no new threats made. We will continue to keep additional safety measures in place throughout the next few days of school.”
The message also announced that school would be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 10, and that there would be no access to the building from 6 p.m. Oct. 9 until 7:30 a.m. Oct. 11. School was closed Oct. 10 because that was the date written on the bathroom wall threat.
The school district also planned for the procedure for entering the building Oct. 11 to include a sweep of the school building, along with searches prior to students entering the building.
Parents were also advised to monitor their email, Remind notifications and social media sites for any additional updates.
“We continue to have police presence in the building and scanning of bags upon entrance. We have limited access to the building for after-school events to single-point entry. We will continue to do this in the coming days,” Lindner wrote in an email Friday.
He also stated that the investigation was ongoing, and that if parents had concerns, those should be directed to the district administration office. Lindner can be reached at 715-255-8552 ext. 1300.
“We take every situation seriously and take every precaution to keep our students and staff safe,” Lindner wrote.
