Reality Check is a new Sun News series holding those in power accountable, shining a light on local issues, and answering readers’ essential questions. Have a question or concern we can answer? Email online@thesunnews.com.
With an increase in school threats, school districts are grappling with how to keep students and staff safe while keeping operations as normal as possible.
This includes not only decisions about the school day but also extracurricular events outside of normal school hours.
On Sept. 20, due to safety concerns from Marlboro County School District , Horry County Schools canceled a North Myrtle Beach football game against the nearby district, The Sun News reported.
Following this decision, will threats within other districts have future impacts on Horry County Schools?
Marlboro School District spokesperson LaKeisha Cribb said it likely will not happen again.
The district went into e-learning for a couple days after a series of school threats the week of Sept. 20 , Cribb said. A student was shot during an incident off-campus, a group of students got into a fight and threatened to kill another student at school and then the district received a threatening message towards a middle school.
Marlboro County High School was ready to send the football team with 21 police officers to the game in North Myrtle Beach but Horry County canceled it because they did not have enough police officers, Cribb said.
Horry County Schools Executive Director of Safety Mike Frederick did not respond to requests to comment.
The decision to cancel the game Sept. 20 was made by the school administration, Frederick said previously. Threats made the rounds on social media and left North Myrtle Beach parents worried about the football game, he said.
Games for Horry County schools this week have been moved to Wednesday and Thursday because of the tropical storm expected to affect the area Friday.
For the rest of the fall season, threats within other school districts could have an impact on sports schedules, especially for schools outside the Myrtle Beach area.
High schools like Green Sea Floyd and Aynor play more games against other school districts. The Aynor High School football team is scheduled to play Marlboro County High School on Oct. 4.
Myrtle Beach area schools may see less of an impact as the majority of high school games will be played against other schools in the Horry County Schools District, according to the fall sports schedules.
Other nearby school districts have had to take actions regarding school threats. Georgetown County recently arrested a 12-year-old after he sent a picture of himself holding a gun and threatening to shoot up a middle school, according to a press release from the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. A similar event happened in Florence County earlier this month after a 15-year-old threatened a high school and was arrested, WBTW reported.
Horry County Schools, like other districts across the country, has received an uptick in school threats this year, largely due to the Sept. 4 school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
If students or parents hear of a potential threat, said Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier encourages them to contact the police and the school district instead of making or sharing a post on social media.
“We have to minimize people sharing posts on social media because that’s what incites fear,” Cribb said.
Local News
