Kewaskum Middle/High School closed early Tuesday, Nov. 25, after a morning phone call indicating a potential threat to student safety.
The school district, working with police, decided to “prioritize and protect the safety and well-being of all students and staff” and called off classes for the day as a precaution, according to a news release from Kewaskum Police Chief Thomas Bishop.
Police partnered with outside agencies to assess and validate the credibility of the threat, according to the release.
No ongoing danger exists to students or the community, the release said.
According to a letter the district sent Nov. 24 to parents, the district also received an anonymous threat on Nov. 24 as a “direct message through social media.”
After contacting law enforcement immediately, the authorities determined that the threat was “not credible” and school was continued as normal, according to the letter released to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
District Administrator Mark Bazata did not answer what the threat was on Nov. 24 and why the one on Nov. 25 resulted in the closing.
“We are grateful for the professionalism, rapid response, and strong interagency collaboration demonstrated by everyone involved. Their decisive actions played a pivotal role in ensuring the safety of our schools during today’s incident,” the release said.
The investigation is ongoing; police declined to release any additional information.
The Kewaskum School District is on break for Thanksgiving from Nov. 26-28. Classes are scheduled to resume Monday, Dec. 1.
This story was updated to add new information.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Threat closes Kewaskum Middle/High School
Reporting by Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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