School districts and law enforcement agencies across the country have seen a significant rise in threats of violence since the tragic events in Parkland, Florida and Nebraska schools are not immune from this phenomenon. Unfortunately, a student at Hartington-Newcastle High School posted a statement on social media which could be construed as threatening. School district officials reacted immediately to the threat, and we have worked closely with law enforcement, in investigating this issue. At this time, both the school and members of law enforcement are satisfied that this threat was not a "true threat" but a misguided prank. The security of our students is our highest priority and we are taking every reasonable step to ensure your students' safety at school. By the same token, even idle threats by students are unacceptable. We also urge every parent to reiterate with their students that these sorts of threats are not funny, or a game. The school district and law enforcement will take every threatening statement seriously and will react to them immediately.
Although I cannot share any details about individual students with you, I can let you know that the student who made this threat is facing appropriate consequences. I am extremely limited in the information that I can provide to you about this specific incident, but any parents who have questions about the safety of their students should feel free to contact me or any other member of the Hartington-Newcastle Public Schools administrative team.