Rochelle, Brady ISD close amid alleged threat

SAN ANGELO, Texas ( Concho Valley Homepage ) — Multiple school districts in McCulloch County closed on Sept. 9 after Rochelle ISD was informed over the weekend that a school had been threatened through a national crisis hotline.

In a public statement issued on Sept. 8, Rochelle ISD stated that the McCulloch County Sheriff’s Office called the district at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 to inform it that an individual had made a phone call to a national crisis hotline and claimed they were in a crisis. During the call, the person “made a threat directed to a school and identified that they attended Rochelle High.”

The hotline contacted the McCulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the details of the call were shared with the school administration. The district stated that “the caller provided incomplete information to the national crisis hotline” and that “there is no clear indication that the caller was or is a student at Rochelle ISD.”

“We are actively working with law enforcement in order to obtain more information on the threat and to determine the legitimacy of the threat,” Rochelle ISD Superintendent Matthew Fields said.

As a precautionary measure due to the “seriousness of the threat,” Rochelle ISD has chosen not to operate on Sept. 9. The district said that it intends to re-open the campus on Sept. 10 “based upon input and guidance from the state agencies supporting” it.

“This allows law enforcement the opportunity to further investigate this threat and report to us their findings immediately,” Fields said. “We will share additional details as we learn more from those agencies.”

The district asks anyone with information regarding the threat to contact it immediately at (325) 243-5224 or use its anonymous report form at https://www.rochelleisd.net/page/stopit .

“The safety and well-being of our employees and students will always be our highest priority,” Fields said.

Brady ISD, located in McCulloch County as well, also stated on Sept. 8 that school was canceled on Sept. 9 in light of the alleged threat. Similarly to Rochelle ISD, the district is weighing whether to reopen on Sept. 10 based on local law enforcement and neighboring school districts.

“Brady ISD was not directly implicated in the phone call in question, however due to the nature of the threat and it being an open investigation, we will choose to err on the side of caution,” Brady ISD Superintendent Hector Martinez said. “The health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.