Violence Threat Alert for Geneva High School for Friday, 2/29
February 28, 2008
Geneva School District 304 issued the following alert earlier today.
Geneva High School received a non-specific threat Thursday morning regarding possible violence on Friday, February 29. School District officials are enacting preventative safety measures in cooperation with the Geneva Police Department to provide a safe learning environment for students tomorrow. This communication is provided to alert you to the situation and also to inform you of some of the safeguards that will be in place tomorrow, Friday, February 29.
Some of these measures will include:
* Entry and exit will only be allowed through the school’s main doors on
McKinley Avenue. Bus drop off will remain the same, but students will be
required to walk to the McKinley Avenue entrance.
* The Geneva Police Department will be on campus to provide additional
security throughout the day.
* No backpacks, bags or purses will be permitted. Those items brought to the
building will be subject to search and checked into the main office for
retrieval at the end of the day.
* All building doors, including the McKinley Avenue entrance, will remain
locked throughout the day.
* Student mobility will be greatly limited throughout the day. Only students
with red or gold passes from the Dean’s Office will be permitted to leave their
classrooms.
* Off campus lunch waivers will not be honored.
* Teaching Assistant classes will not meet. Students should report to the
Community Room.
* Students will not be permitted to leave Geneva High School to attend any
off-campus classes, including Fox Valley Career Center courses.
Students were advised of the situation and notified of these safety precautions
several times through announcements Thursday afternoon and letters are being
sent home to parents with their high school students.
While we are confident that appropriate safety precautions are being taken,
parents who feel compelled to excuse their student from classes tomorrow,
Friday, February 29, are asked to call the attendance line (630) 463-3801.
Counselors have been made available to students.
Parents who have questions regarding this event or the safeguards being put into
effect are asked to call Principal Thomas Rogers at (630) 463-3800.
Media inquiries should be directed to Superintendent Dr. Kent Mutchler at (630)
463-3010.
End of press release.
The District must take all threats seriously and I’m glad to see that they are. The investigation will very likely determine who created this threat. Once they do, criminal charges should be filed and the Board should permanently expel the student(s).
