ALPINE — Alpine High School was placed on lockdown then “secure,” a mode in which all exterior doors are locked but classes continue uninterrupted, from 1:05 to 1:45 p.m. today, Monday, October 28.
All students and staff are safe. The security measures were taken in response to a threat that was called into a third-party site, the district wrote on Facebook. “The telephone threat has been turned over to the FBI for investigation,” the post states. “Initial tracking shows the threat originated overseas, is not deemed to be credible, and was likely sent to induce fear and chaos.”
Parents were notified throughout the afternoon via messages to ParentSquare, the district’s communication platform, and social media.
“We appreciate our local law enforcements’ quick response to potential threats, and their dedication to always keeping our students and staff safe,” wrote Superintendent Dr. Michelle Rinehart. “The safety and well-being of our kids is our top priority.”
Area districts provided notice of a 432-area-code school threat, generated out of Midland, earlier this fall. While that threat was ultimately deemed non-credible by law enforcement, it led to parental concerns, increased law enforcement and low attendance rates on September 10.
The Marfa ISD School Board approved an attendance waiver for that date — an appeal to the state to have certain days excluded from school funding calculations — because the district was at 73% attendance.
