GCR-2 school officials take precautions against perceived nationwide Dec. 17 social media threat

By Roxie Murphy, Staff Writer
Posted 11/16/21

Gasconade County R-2 District officials today and Friday will be on alert and taking pre-COVID-19 measures to keep students safe from suggested nationwide gun violence threats.

 

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GCR-2 school officials take precautions against perceived nationwide Dec. 17 social media threat

Posted
Gasconade County R-2 District officials today and Friday will be on alert and taking pre-COVID-19 measures to keep students safe from suggested nationwide gun violence threats.
 
Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy said Thursday morning that precautionary measures have been implemented.
 
“Buildings are not on lockdown,” she said. “This is just the way we should run business. There have not been any direct threats to our district.”
A letter sent out by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Wednesday warned districts to take precautionary measures against gun violence on Dec. 17 due to a warning in a Tik Tok video.
 
“Every school district in the state of Missouri received the letter,” Hardy said. “What they sent us, a copy of the Tik Tok link that said ‘please be safe Dec. 17, stay home, school shootings (expected).’ I am taking that seriously since it came from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.”
 
Hardy said they are taking action against the suggested threat, even though no direct threat has been made to or suggested toward the Gasconade County R-2 School District.
 
“We are working with Gasconade and Franklin counties to work with law enforcement and all pre- covid-19 safety measures are in place,” Hardy said.
She explained that since COVID-19, districts have gone from locking classroom doors while class is in session to leaving them open to encourage air circulation.
 
“Now making sure classroom doors stay locked throughout the day, students stay in classrooms and are accounted for,” Hardy said. Conversations on Facebook suggested that the schools were in lockdown. Hardy said they are not.
 
“I am working with local and county police departments,” Hardy said. “Police will be on campus throughout the day. I have talked to both Gasconade and Franklin counties to make sure our schools are covered.” Hardy said students do not seem to be bothered overly much. “I was in all three buildings this morning and it was business as usual,” she said. “They didn’t appear rattled or startled. We have great kids and they are resilient and we have to do our best job to keep them safe.”
 
Parents who are considering keeping their students at home Friday should be aware.
“It would be a verified absence,” she said. “Parents know where their kids are. But it will count against them for attendance purposes.”
 
Hardy added that she hopes this incident and the letter will encourage parents to talk to their kids and pay attention to what they are watching on social media.
 
“Parents need to be careful about what is going on in social media,” she said. “Be aware of what kids are seeing on Tik Tok. When reels play they don’t get to choose what is next. These challenges are out there. Parents have to be more involved in what kids see on social media.”
 
In the neighboring Bland-Belle school district, Maries County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham has said they will not send out letters to families about the suggested threat, but are taking precautions.
 
“We have not sent something out,” Basham said. “We felt it was a very generic warning.” She added that teachers and staff have been made aware of the threat.
 
“We are always concerned about sending something out that kids don’t know about and then making them aware,” Basham said. “We are trying to be cautious about not creating more conversation with the kids about it.”
 
They are taking extra precautions in the classroom.
“We are making sure everything is locked up and are following safety precautions in the classroom, reviewing procedures for that incident.”
 
Basham said the school resource officer will be more present and the Maries County and Bland police departments will be present at both campuses.
 
“I just know the SRO has been arranging things and everyone is aware and they have procedures in place for tomorrow,” she said.
 
Basham said the suggested threat was very generic and looked more like it was telling kids not to come to school versus an actual threat.“Of course we want to take precautions,” she said.