Dear Families and Staff:
To expand on our earlier email, today several school districts in the Capital Region received what is believed to be swatting phone calls indicating an active shooter at their school.
The District took additional precautions today which include, but are not limited to, an increased law enforcement presence at all buildings, canceling all field trips, no outdoor recess or PE, and we have verified that our current protocol of all outdoor entrances are locked and secure. The District has been in constant contact with law enforcement, as well as neighboring districts, which are in the process of lifting their lockouts and lockdowns.
While Averill Park CSD has not received a direct threat, we know many of our families, students, and staff are understandably concerned about school safety. Please know that the health, safety and well-being of our students and staff are a priority. We take all reports of potential threats seriously and work with law enforcement as needed.
Swatting incidents are threats made to schools with the purpose of triggering a police response and creating fear and panic. Several states across the U.S. have experienced similar mass swatting attempts in recent months.
We encourage our school community to report anything out of the ordinary. Thank you for your cooperation.