Like many other schools throughout the nation, Marshfield High School sometimes receives a threat to the school. Most of the threats that the school receives are transmitted virtually, over media. Others are verbal, where someone overhears a conversation in which they detect a threat and report it. Threats have also, in the past, been found written on the stalls of the bathrooms, with some of them having specific details. Regardless of the method or type of threat, all threats to school safety are responded to in a very serious manner.
Todd Tardie, MHS security staff member, recalls having witnessed this occurrence only twice in the past fifteen years that he’s worked at MHS. While every occurrence is dealt with as a real threat, they are often deemed just that–a threat.
“Most legit school shootings never get threats, they just happen,” said Tardie. “Usually when there’s a threat, it means someone’s seeking attention, trying to impress somebody, or trying to get school closed.”
However, it does not mean they are not taken seriously. The way school officials react depends on the circumstances. Factors like whether a threat is made in or out of school hours are taken under consideration. If a threat is made outside of school, the police are the first to be notified, with the department then taking over and conducting their research of the threat. In this case, the hope is to get control of it before school the next day.
“If it’s inside of school and it’s a threat, then we quickly assess it, keeping it as quiet as possible and see if it’s real,” Tardie explained. “If it’s real we lockdown, shut down the school.”
His role in this protocol is to inform and keep people safe.
Two years ago a threat to the school was made during school hours. It was sent to a few students at school during a fire drill via Airdrop, a wireless service that allows iPhone users to send images to each other. The sender could even possibly send it anonymously with this method. Eventually, this led to school being put under lockdown and an early dismissal.
When the school is in a situation such as this, the active shooter protocol, or ALICE training protocol, is followed. These procedures involve elements such as alerting, lockdowns, informing, countering, and evacuation. An ALICE drill is rehearsed about twice a year to prepare students for such an occurrence.
More recently, an online threat was detected at MHS, and an announcement was sent out regarding it on September 12th. This announcement was letting people of the Coos Bay school district know of the unsubstantiated threat, investigations being conducted, and that classes would still be held as normal the following day with an increase in security on the MHS and junior high campus.
Some students stayed home because of this. One of them being Kaylah Kool, a freshman at MHS. Both her and her mom decided it would be best if she didn’t go. She doesn’t attend school in most of these cases.
“I get kind of scared and when I tell my mom about it she doesn’t want me to go to school usually,” said Kool.
Some parents take this very seriously, keeping their kids home in fear of their safety, and it’s a decision families must make together. Others attend classes as normal, and trust authorities to handle the situation. Though it’s necessary to take concern in order to make sure the students are safe.
“It’s something that no matter what we need to take seriously including the students, staff, the community and the police department,” said Casey McCord, MHS Athletic Director and Assistant Principal.
Any threat to student or staff safety needs to be taken seriously until the threat is handled.
“I was a parent with students in school and even though it’s hard, I think parents just need to stay calm and get as much information as they can,” advised Tardie. “If you don’t have enough information and you don’t feel safe, don’t send your kids to school. That’s what I would do, personally.”
In the United States, where public shootings are frequent, it’s especially hard to feel safe when threats arise. School staff recognize that, and try to take every precaution possible when facing something out of the norm. When it comes to Marshfield, there has never been a school shooting, but that doesn’t necessarily make threats any less concerning. What’s important to know is that if a threat was more than a threat, the school district would not send students to school.
“Get information, trust the system, and trust the information,” said Tardie. “If it’s not safe, we’re not going to have you here, but if it is we’re going to invite you in.”