I want to take a moment to update you on the situation at Lapeer High School that ultimately led to today’s early dismissal.

First off, please understand that when we are in the midst of an investigation, especially one involving law enforcement, we cannot share specific details until the appropriate time. I know this can be a source of frustration for parents and, as a parent myself, I understand.

On Monday evening, we sent out a communication to parents based on the information we had at the time. The incident occurred several weeks ago off campus but we were not made aware of it until Monday.

On Wednesday morning, we received new information about a potential weapon hidden somewhere inside Lapeer High School. There were no specifics to aid in an investigation and, as we expressed multiple times, no threat, direct or indirect, to any student or staff member. Once we received the information, we immediately began an investigation in cooperation with local law enforcement and placed the building in secure mode. As a reminder, secure mode does not indicate that a threat is present or imminent. This is simply a way for our administrators, law enforcement and medical personnel to deal with situations in a controlled environment.

After the initial search of student lockers failed to uncover anything of concern, we made the decision to dismiss students early in order to facilitate an even more thorough search of the entire campus by our law enforcement partners.

At this hour, a full-campus sweep has been completed, using trained police K-9s, and we are happy to report the campus is clear and students will return to school as normal on Thursday.

As you know, incidents like these are happening all too frequently in our state and across the country. I want to reassure you that we will continue to do everything we can to keep our schools safe. Sometimes exercising an abundance of caution can cause a major disruption, one like we saw today. Even so, today’s disruption is a relatively small price to pay to ensure our students and staff feel safe at school.

Thank you and have a great evening.

Matt Wandrie – Superintendent of Schools