As school-related threats escalate nationally, Springfield district officials asked students, parents and other patrons to promptly and directly report any safety concerns.
They also asked the public not to spread any rumors related to school safety on social media.
In an email to families Thursday, the district said it is aware of an increase in threatening messages related to schools happening nationally.
"Some of the threats may mention specific schools but others are very vague," said Stephen Hall, chief communications officer, in the email.
In a follow-up interview, Hall said Courage2Report Missouri — a platform that monitors safety threats and concerns — notified districts that it recently observed a "a significant uptick in social media posts that contained ... mostly very vague threats regarding schools."
The increase has been noted in the wake of the Sept. 4 mass shooting at Apalachee High School near Winder, Georgia, that killed two teachers and two students and injured nine others.
"Then this morning, we did begin to receive questions and calls from parents and families across the district that had just observed this nationwide trend and were very concerned and wanted to make sure we were aware," Hall said.
The Springfield district has its own police force led by Chief Jim Farrell. Hall said the district takes "any threatening post seriously and investigate thoroughly."
In November 2022, a school shooting was erroneously reported at Hillcrest High School. The school police and officers from other law enforcement agencies responded quickly to search and clear the building. In the days that followed, the district said the incident, while unwanted, provided a test of the extensive training and safety protocols that had been put in place.
The district also works closely with the Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff's Office and additional law enforcement agencies as needed.
"At this time, we do not have any reason to believe there is a credible threat related to our schools in Springfield," Hall wrote in the email.
Hall said a decision was made to alert families so they knew the district was closely monitoring the issue and to remind the public there are ways to notify the district of any concern in a "time-sensitive way." Those options include:
- Call school police at 417-523-2911. The dispatch center, and its commissioned police force, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
- Text the anonymous Tip Line at 417-319-2901;
- Contact your school principal or another school administrator.
"When we receive a tip, when they come in, we're able to take immediate action," Hall said. "It that means we dispatch an officer in the middle of the night, that is what we do."
As the investigation is conducted, the district asks the public to refrain from reposting any concerning post on social media or spreading rumors about possible threats.
"Many times information that is not verified or has already been investigated and determined to be not credible gets reported and re-shared on social media," Hall said. "When people think they're being helpful, it can actually prompt panic and impede the investigation."
Hall said the district has a system in place to also relay information about any credible threat to parents and employees in a timely manner.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Amid a national spike in school threats, SPS reminds public how to report concerns
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