Today, the Belton Police Department and the Belton School District received information involving a potential threat to the safety of our students. The Belton Police Department and the Belton School District maintain an excellent working relationship which puts the safety of students as a top priority.
The Belton Police Department has investigated this potential threat and have determined the threatening information had been circulated based from an incident in another metro school district. The investigation did not reveal any evidence of a credible threat in our school district. Please see below for a statement from the school district.
Belton Middle and High School Families,
The safety and security of our students is always our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we wanted to make you aware of a social media concern that was brought to our attention today. The posts contained images of a threatening nature written on a wall.
After a thorough search of each school -- as well as Yeokum Center of Innovation and other ancillary buildings, neither item was found on our walls. While there was no finding of fact and we do not believe these images to have any credible ties to Belton, we understand recent local and national events may have some students and families on higher alert. We will continue to have our school resource officers on duty and stationed throughout the District.
We encourage parents to take this opportunity to converse with their children when they see threatening behavior online. Some talking points that may help include:
The safety of students and staff is one of the Belton School District’s highest priorities, and all of us—students, parents, and school employees—have an important role to play in keeping our campus(es) safe. We ask everyone to report any suspicious behavior you might encounter, as early intervention can prevent a situation from escalating.
All threats are taken seriously - this is not a matter that can be joked about. Ever. School resource officers and school administration work together to investigate, no matter if the items in question are made verbally, in writing, email, text message, or online.
If a student is involved in making a threat OR sharing posts that are untrue yet result in causing disruption and panic in our school community, they could face criminal charges and/or disciplinary action.
Again, please know that the safety and security of our students and staff is our utmost concern, and we thank you for the trust that you place in us each and every day.
