“The district is optimistic that this added layer of protection will give some peace of mind for our students and families,” said Superintendent Bob Hill. “We would not have requested these measures if they were not going to be effective in keeping our children safe.”
Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday afternoon that the Springfield school district did receive one threat Tuesday afternoon mentioning three schools, but it “was very quickly determined to be unfounded.” Superintendent Bob Hill said student attendance was down Tuesday, but it was as close to a regular day as the district has had in a few days.
Megan Short, who has children at Snowhill and at the high school, said having officers at the school makes her feel her children are safe, but it’s still bittersweet.
“At first I was really happy about it because this means they’re putting our children’s safety first,” she said. “But it makes me sad that we have to get to this point that (OSHP) has to be here in the first place.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that 36 members of OHSP’s field force would sweep all school district buildings for safety each morning before classes. That would include the use of specially trained K-9s among other steps.
The district had been hit by a series of bomb threats that had led them to evacuate a total of six schools Thursday, Friday and Monday. Real safety worries from those threats were mixed with the frustration that all of the 33 threats in Springfield the past several days had been hoaxes, and that these ruses continued to disrupt kids’ learning.
Highway Patrol staffers could be seen walking the perimeter of Snowhill Elementary on Tuesday morning, checking the playground, and greeting students when they arrive. School officials said the teams will conduct sweeps of the buildings before and after school “to identify and address any potential threats, thereby ensuring that any threat made to the building during that school day is not credible.”
“For the first time since Thursday, our children were able to return to a normal schedule. Right now, that feels invaluable,” Hill said.
Trisha Simmons, grandparent of children attending Snowhill Elementary, said she really appreciated the law enforcement presence. Her grandkids had not attended school since Thursday because of the threats.
“We decided if the troopers were going to be here, that was the extra security that made us feel better, and we were willing to send them today,” Simmons said.
The district is working to provide building principals with talking points to share with teachers because students, especially younger ones, may be challenged to understand the recent events.
“There is no doubt that these circumstances have taken an emotional toll on our students and staff,” Hill said. “The district has an expansive Student Services Department, as well as counselors in each building. However, I also encourage parents to ease any fears their students may have about coming to school. It will take a combined effort from staff, parents and students to allow our community to move forward.”
Barring unexpected circumstances, Springfield City Schools will now stay open the rest of this week with increased safety measures, rather than closing school buildings as they’ve done in recent days when they received non-credible bomb threats.
The OHSP officers will stay around during the school day and past dismissal, DeWine said.
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