Letter from Superintendent North Concerning the Incident at Alexander High School
Dear DCSS Parents, Guardians and Caregivers
I want to address what happened today at Alexander High School. First thank you to Dr. Chris Small. He and his team responded with excellence and because of their quick response we were able to contain the situation within minutes. Also I want to thank our Douglas County School System’s Chief of Police and his team. We always partner with our city and county law enforcement departments, so I thank them too. Once the situation was contained inside and outside, the sheriff’s team stepped in and began to immediately partner with the school system's law enforcement. They worked collaboratively together to make sure that the school campus was secure and to begin immediately searching for the alleged perpetrators.
But I can’t stop there. While I was very pleased with my team and my students and how awesome they responded - I want to thank our parents. Whenever a crisis occurs the first thing we want to do is have access to our children. I know that you wanted your children. However, because of our protocols, we needed to lock our school down. Almost all of you supported that process and for that, the board and I say thank you.
There is a lot of speculation about what occurred today. And the reality is that until the investigation is complete we will not fully know. When any situation is turned over to the sheriff’s office, the school district must follow the guidance provided by them. Oftentimes, that means not all details can be shared immediately. It might be because it will impact the investigation, or it might be because the person behind it is a young person. The district communicated with staff and all Alexander High School families when new information was provided that could be shared, even as the investigation is underway.
Here is what I can share with you, we do not tolerate the behavior that occurred today on our campus. While the incident started over the weekend and it was carried out on our campus this morning during the transition to classes, that behavior is unacceptable. We are partnering with law enforcement and our judicial system to make sure that everyone in Douglas County understands that our number one priority is to keep those who are on our campuses safe. For anyone who chooses to violate that, it is our responsibility to make sure that their school privileges are removed and that they do not have the opportunity to do it again.
We recognize the impact that this is going to have on our students and so we have a team ready and prepared to provide support for our students, as they return to campus tomorrow. Alexander High School parents received a letter this evening sharing learning plans for tomorrow.
My team has worked very hard all year to keep your kids safe and they are doing the same for tomorrow. While I am very disappointed in the behaviors of students that violated our protocols, the threat of harm that they had ended when they left the building this morning. So, while you are deciding what to do with your children tomorrow, I strongly urge you not to let those who created mischief on our campus create fear in your household.
Thank you again for partnering with us and for your patience and understanding as we work through this together.
Sincerely,
Trent North, Superintendent
Douglas County School System