This message is to let you know that our school received a threat and that everyone is safe.
Here is what we know:
At approximately 8:30 this morning, the Vermont State police notified the Waitsfield School that a threat of school violence had been received through a veterans’ help hotline group chat. During the initial phone call they stated that they did not believe it was a credible threat.
The Vermont State Police Intelligence Center was able to quickly track the threat to a computer IP address outside of the state. Additionally, they verified that very similar threats, delivered in similar fashion, were received at schools in Connecticut in the past few weeks.
The exterior of the building was secure. A complete sweep of the building, internally and externally, was made immediately by school officials and then by Vermont State Police to confirm safety. Given the state police assessment that this appeared to be a hoax, the school did not engage in further secure-the-building protocol.
Students and staff are being informed of this report. Information will be shared in an age appropriate manner in classrooms, where we can answer any questions and reassure students of our safety protocols and their own safety. We practiced a “secure the building” drill earlier this week. This hoax illustrates the importance of our robust security practices and system.
State police have since confirmed that similar threats have been received at other schools in Vermont today and earlier this week.
The safety of our students and staff is, and always will be, our highest priority.
Respectfully,
Dr. Mike Leichliter, Superintendent
Kaiya Korb, Waitsfield Principal
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