Soap Lake schools closed Tuesday
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years, 3 months AGO
Soap Lake Middle/High School was closed Tuesday after a student who threatened to "shoot up the school," was released from Grant County Juvenile Detention Facility on Monday, according to school and law enforcement officials.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 30, 2014 5:00 AM
SOAP LAKE - Citing concerns over a student who allegedly made threats against Soap Lake schools, the Soap Lake School Board cancelled classes Tuesday.
District superintendent Dan McDonald called it "an abundance of caution," so district officials could implement what McDonald called "further safety measures." McDonald released a statement Tuesday afternoon.
"We had some safety concerns," Soap Lake Middle School/High School Principal Rick Winters said Tuesday morning. "We plan to open tomorrow morning." After school activities will be cancelled today.
The closure followed the arrest of a 16-year-old Soap Lake student on Thursday after he allegedly threatened students and staff, according to a story in the Friday Columbia Basin Herald. The threat was not directed at any specific student or staff member, the story said.
According to Grant County Juvenile Detention Center administrator Warren Swanson, the boy said he was going to "shoot up the school."
The boy left campus after making the threats and was found and arrested at Smokiam High School, the district's alternative school. The student was searched when arrested but didn't have any weapons, the Herald story said.
The boy was charged with felony harassment and detained at the juvenile detention center over the weekend, but was released Monday, Swanson said. "Soap Lake was not happy that he was released," he said.
School board members interrupted their Monday night meeting for an unscheduled executive session, and board chair Jerry Bessette announced the closure afterward.
McDonald said district officials asked for more security on campus and plan to increase police presence on campus during school hours. District officials will be working with local agencies to increase safety precautions, he said.
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