District reassuring parents of student safety following threat

LIGONIER, Pa. — Officials with Ligonier Valley School District are trying to reassure parents that it’s safe for children to return to school when holiday break ends.

A threat was found written on a bathroom wall last Monday. It insinuated that there would be a violent incident on Dec. 21. In response to the threat, the school district shut down for the day on Wednesday. Attendance was low for the remainder of the week.

, about 44 percent of district students were absent on Dec. 20. On Dec. 22, 43 percent of students were absent, and 36 percent were absent on the 23rd.

Superintendent Christine Oldham sent home a series of letters to parents and students. The most recent letter thanked them for their patience and understanding. The district said that there will be an added police presence when students return on Monday, Jan. 2, but that security will not be as heightened as it was in the days directly following the threat.

In a statement, Oldham wrote, “We will only conduct generalized searches of backpacks, duffel bags, purses and lunch bags as needed. In addition, all evening activities will resume.”

There are roughly 2,700 students in the Ligonier Valley School District. The district and police are urging parents to talk to their children about the written threat.

If anyone has information, they are asked to call the Ligonier Township police department at 724-238-5105, or the district at 724-238-5696.

Cox Media Group