“I want to take a minute to ensure all of you that we are working very closely with the Putnam County Sheriff’s office and our SROs to maintain the safety of our schools.” – PCSS Director Of Schools Corby King
Earlier today, multiple Putnam County schools responded to threatening calls ranging from reports of guns being in schools to a bomb threat. The calls appeared to be from the “same group,” according to a statement from the Putnam County School System.
The calls impacted:
- Capshaw Elementary
- Jere Whitson Elementary
- Upperman High School
- White Plains Academy
- Cookeville High School
- Upperman Middle School
According to a statement from Putnam County Director of Schools Corby King, the calls appear to be part of a nationwide hoax.
“I want to take a minute to ensure all of you we are working very closely with the putnam County Sheriff’s office and our SROs to maintain the safety of our schools,” said King. “It’s our number one priority to take care of our students, our faculty and our staff.”
King went on to say the school system believes the calls are part of a larger hoax happening across the country.
“These calls are going to high schools and schools in nearby communkties and other schools in Tennesee, but also in other parts of the country. We don’t want to become complacent. We want to continue to follow established safety protocol.”
Protocol includes:
- Securing buildings
- Locking schools down
King said the process takes only a “few minutes,” but the school system will continue informing the public when incidents like this occur.
“In the meantime, we are just making sure the kids are safe and cared for,” he said in the statement. “Our teachers are doing an amazing job. Our administrators are doing an outstanding job as well…”
He also thanked the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and teachers for responding quickly. King said school activities will continue as planned during the students’ final five days of classes.
“They (the students) have earned the opportunity to celebrate with their friends, to be recognized by their teachers and to be recognized with their families in attendance. So we are going to do that and recognize the wonderful year we have had. I just wanted to ensure everyone we are keeping safety at the forefront of our minds and we are not becoming complacent.”
UCBJ file photo.
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