Absenteeism high following school threat
CONNELLSVILLE – Nearly 30-percent of the Connellsville Area High School student population did not attend school Thursday, one day after learning an unknown person left a note threatening to “shoot everybody at the school.” School principal Nick Bosnic said that on a typical day only 10-percent or less of the students are absent from school.
“I attribute the high absenteeism to what happened,” he said.
According to district figures, in grade 10, of the 416 students, 101 were absent; in grade 11, 83 of the 300 students did not attend class and in grade 12, of the 268 students, 98 did not attend school.
Late Tuesday afternoon a student reported finding a scribbled note on a boys’ bathroom wall threatening to do harm at the school.
On Wednesday, school security personnel checked each student for weapons. None were found.
District Superintendent David Goodin said students were again required to pass through a security checkpoint Thursday before entering the building.
“Although there are rumors circulating that we confiscated five guns and other weapons (Wednesday), that is not true,” he said. “We did find several packs of cigarettes and cans of snuff, but that was all.”
The tobacco products were removed from the students. However, they were not fined or reprimanded for having the items in their possession on school property as permitted by district regulations.
“That was not within the scope of the search,” Goodin said, stressing that no weapons were recovered in the Thursday search.
Other rumors that security personnel were permitted to search vehicles parked at the school are unfounded, he added.
Goodin said that students would be searched on a semi-regular basis to ensure the safety of all who are in the building.
Bosnic, meanwhile, said that he has conducted meetings with the staff to answer questions and notified students that his door is open should anyone want to discuss the matter. Throughout the course of the day, high school personnel have fielded numerous telephone calls from concerned parents.
“They are asking about the situation and inquiring as to how it is going to be handled,” said Bosnic. “We are telling them that we are taking appropriate steps to keep everyone safe.”
In addition to the morning security screenings, Bosnic said that security personnel and teachers plan to have more of a presence in the hallways and common areas, such as the cafeteria and other places students gather prior to the start of school or during the course of the day.
“We’re going to try to monitor the students more during the day,” he said, adding the security cameras are in place throughout the building. “We are taking every precaution.”