Washington Community High School students are being told to leave their backpacks at home this week after a “possible student safety risk.”
An email sent to parents by Superintendent Kyle Freeman says school officials became aware of the risk Tuesday, with it being specific to Wednesday, Oct. 23. Freeman says until the end of the week, all backpacks brought to the school will be searched and stored until the end of the day. He asks student-athletes to leave their equipment bags in their vehicles.
As of Wednesday morning, Washington Police Deputy Chief Jeff Stevens said the department is still investigating the situation and referred back to the high school for any additional comments.
Freeman was contacted by WCBU, but he was not available for comment.
The full text of the superintendent’s email is below:
This afternoon, information concerning a possible student safety risk at WCHS was brought to the attention of the administration. In conjunction with the Washington Police Department, the situation remains under investigation. The potential safety risk was specific to tomorrow (10/23), so we are asking students to try to avoid bringing a backpack to school for the remainder of the week. All bags that are brought to school will be searched. If your student needs to bring a bag for athletics, we ask that they leave the bag in their car and retrieve it after school for their practice or game. If they do not have the ability to store a bag in a car, we will search the bag and provide your student with a safe location to store their bag during the day.
As a reminder, students and parents should always report concerning situations quickly so an investigation can begin immediately. Please include names, identifying facts, screen shots, pictures or other relevant information. Together we can work toward maintaining the safest learning environment possible.
