In light of a recent string of threats made against schools across the Delmarva Peninsula, the Indian River School District would like to reassure parents that procedures are in place at every school building to insure the safety of their children.
Three district schools have received threats since January 11th. Each incident was handled with the utmost competence and professionalism by school staffs. State and local police searched each of the buildings, often with the assistance of a K-9 unit, and the schools resumed normal operations within two to three hours.
Although the credibility of these threats is in question, the district will continue to take all necessary precautions to protect students.
“Every district school has a Comprehensive School Safety Plan that addresses a variety of emergency situations, including bomb threats,” Superintendent Susan Bunting said. “Staff members are trained on these plans and know their duties when a threat is received by a school. During these recent incidents, teachers and staff did a phenomenal job keeping students calm and orderly during the evacuation and search process.
“While we understand these incidents are unnerving, we hope parents will trust us to keep their children safe. Comprehensive School Safety plans were developed in conjunction with law enforcement and are designed with one overarching mission – to insure the safety and security of students during various crisis situations. I’d also like to remind parents that every school has an armed security monitor on duty at all times. Some of our secondary schools also have a school resource officer on campus. These individuals provide an additional layer of protection for students on a daily basis.”
During the past two weeks, every IRSD school has implemented additional daily security measures to help assess the validity the threats and determine the proper course of action. The response to a threat may involve evacuating students from the building or having them shelter-in-place in a common area of the school. Schools will consult with local law enforcement and district officials when making these decisions.
“Parents can rest assured that the actions of a few cowardly individuals will not deter us from our business of providing students with a first-class education,” Bunting said. “I would like to thank parents for their patience, cooperation and understanding during this challenging time. Furthermore, my most sincere appreciation goes out to the staff members of the schools affected by the recent threats. Their professionalism has allowed us to handle these incidents with the least possible disruption.”
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