Threat at Chartiers Valley High School not credible, say police, district officials

A threat made against the Chartiers Valley High School on Wednesday was not credible, according police and officials at the district.

Evening activities at the school will happened as planned, but Superintendent Johannah Vanatta urged parents to check with coaches.

The school will be open Thursday.

“As always, the security of our students and staff is of utmost importance as we work to provide a safe learning environment for all,” Vanatta said in a letter posted to the district’s website.

The district Wednesday closed its middle and high schools due to the alleged threat.

The threat was discovered Wednesday morning, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page.

Vanatta wrote that the threat was made against the high school through a non-emergency 911 call. Collier police were already at the school for a scheduled patrol and worked with school officials to investigate the threat.

Vanatta’s letter contained no details about the nature of the threat or if the person responsible for the threat has been found.

Collier police couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

“We are grateful for our strong partnership with local law enforcement, and for their diligent efforts in keeping our schools safe. We are also thankful for the swift response by our dedicated faculty and staff whose efforts allowed us to evacuate over 1,000 people efficiently and safely today,” Vanatta wrote in the letter.

District spokeswoman Mikaela Duckstein said district officials sent notifications to parents about 7:45 a.m., letting them know the schools would be closed due to the threat. The notifications were sent through Infinite Campus, which allows parents to choose whether to receive notifications by phone call, text message or e-mail.

Duckstein said high school students were already on campus and some middle school students were en route when the district found out about the threat.

She said the high and middle schoolers were taken back to their home bus stops.

“While we acknowledge that the timing of this situation made for short notice, we appreciate parents’ patience, understanding and trust that decisions were made in the interest of student safety,” Vanatta wrote in the letter.

The district’s primary and intermediate schools still were still in session Wednesday, though Duckstein said some buses were running late.

“As far as I know everyone in those schools got to school just fine,” Duckstein said.

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Madasyn at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com, or via Twitter @maddyczebstrib.