After an eventful week, the Lafayette Parish School System has sent letters to parents in Lafayette Parish about school safety. Letters were also sent specifically to parents and staff of Middlebrook Elementary and Lafayette High School regarding incidents that occurred this week.
Earlier this week, an elementary student was arrested and accused of shooting another student with a BB gun. Yesterday, the third incident this semester at Lafayette High resulted in an early dismissal. LHS also has had one lock down and one evacuation this semester.
The letter was also posted on the system's Facebook page. You can read it below.
"Our job is to provide a high-quality education in a safe learning environment, a job we take very seriously," Interim Superintendent Irma Trosclair writes. "Under no circumstance will disruptions to our district's learning environments be taken lightly and anyone threatening a school campus will be dealth with in a serious manner."
Trosclair also asks parents to talk to their children about these issues, and to double-check that their information is correctly listed in the district's messaging center.
Here's the full post:
Below is the letter sent to parents and staff of Cpl. Michael Middlebrook Elementary School, written by LPSS PIO Allison Dickerson.
Dear Cpl Michael Middlebrook Elementary Parents and Staff:
On Tuesday, December 3, 2019 in the late afternoon, a student was found to be in possession of a BB gun. The BB gun was discharged by a student. The school resource officer was immediately contacted and the authorities were called to the scene to investigate this criminal matter. Appropriate disciplinary measures from the Lafayette Parish School System will be imposed once the investigation is complete.
Please understand that during an active investigation involving a minor, only limited information can be shared publicly. Our number one priority is to keep our students safe. Our next priority is to communicate with parents. We will continue to notify parents of such incidents and take the proper precautions to keep your child out of harm's way.
I encourage you to take this opportunity to speak to your child and educate them about the consequences of these actions. Please also remind your children that if you see something, say something. Teachers, administrators and school resource officers are always available.
Sincerely,
Allison Dickerson
Public Information Officer
Below is the letter sent to parents and staff of Lafayette High School, also from PIO Allison Dickerson.
Dear Parents and Staff of Lafayette High School:
On Wednesday, December 4, 2019 in the late afternoon, a bomb threat was texted to a student. The student immediately reported the incident and the LPSS Crisis Plan was initiated. The decision was to call for an early dismissal, since it was so close to the end of the school day. All students were dismissed from school and buses that normally drop off at LHS were rerouted to an alternate school. Police investigated the matter and conducted a sweep of the school. No bomb was found. Police are still investigating the matter at this time.
Please understand that during an active investigation, only limited information can be shared publicly. Our number one priority is to keep our students safe. Our next priority is to communicate with parents. We will continue to notify parents of such incidents and take the proper precautions to keep your child out of harm’s way.
I encourage you to take this opportunity to speak to your child and educate them about the consequences of these actions. Please also remind your children that if you see or hear something, say something. Teachers, administrators and school resource officers are always available.
As always, thank you for your patience this time.
Sincerely,
Allison Dickerson
Public Information Officer
