The following information was sent to families via SchoolMessenger on Tuesday, April 16 with the subject "Safety Situation at West Jefferson Middle School". A version of the content edited to be quickly read online appears first, followed by a transcription of the original letter.
What happened?
A crumpled note was brought to the office by several students on the afternoon of Monday, April 15. The note was handed to a staff member in the office, who was told that it was found on the floor of a classroom and had been passed around that classroom.
The issue was brought to the attention of leadership when a Safe2Tell report was made about the note in the evening of Monday, April 15. School administrators saw the note early on Tuesday, April 16 and found it to be possibly threatening in nature as a number of student names were listed.
How has the school responded?
Our School Resource Officer, Deputy Joslin, and Jeffco Public Schools' Department of School Safety and Security were notified after administration saw the note on the morning of Tuesday, April 16 and responded to investigate the situation.
Our school administration team has been interviewing students to see who may be involved and we continue to follow all district protocols, as we do in any situation like this.
What is the current status of the situation?
There is currently no evidence to suggest our building is unsafe or to indicate where the note originated. We will continue to investigate the note and situation. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is investigating as well.
We cannot share specific information as student discipline records are protected information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We can assure you that we take safety concerns seriously. Appropriate disciplinary measures, guided by the district's Code of Conduct, will be taken for the student(s) involved.
We are communicating what has taken place to provide information to our community. We are aware that rumors are already circulating and are providing what information we can share at this time.
What will happen going forward?
As we learn more, we will be sure to update you with information that we can share.
Again, while we cannot share specific information about student discipline, we can confirm when the investigation has concluded and the general disposition of the investigation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office at 303-982-3056.
Transcript of original letter:
April 16, 2024
Dear West Jefferson Middle School Staff and Families,
We want to make you aware of a situation. Yesterday afternoon several students brought a crumpled note to the office after it was passed around their science classroom. It was said to be found on the floor of that classroom. They handed it to a staff member in the office without providing much context. The issue was not brought to the attention of leadership until late last evening after a Safe2Tell was shared about this note.
School administrators saw the note first thing this morning and after examining it found it to be possibly threatening in nature as a number of student names were listed. We immediately notified our School Resource Officer Deputy Joslin as well as Jeffco's Department of School Safety who responded, to investigate the situation. The Jefferson County Sheriff Office is still investigating. Our school administration team has been interviewing students to see who may be involved and we continue to follow all district protocols as we do in any situation like this.
We are investigating the note and situation, but currently, there is no evidence to suggest our building is unsafe or to indicate where the note originated. We have continued with our day, ensuring that school safety remains our top priority.
Please note that due to confidentiality, I cannot share specifics, but I can assure you that we take safety concerns seriously. Appropriate disciplinary measures, guided by the district's Code of Conduct, will be taken for the student(s) involved.
We have heard some rumors swirling in our school community regarding this situation, so we wanted to communicate with you what has taken place as we needed more time to collect the appropriate information. We also want to reassure you that the safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance. Deputy Joslin will be checking in regularly and once we learn more we will be sure to update you.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing partnership. We all must work together to ensure the safety of our students. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office at 303-982-3056.
In partnership,
Kim Halingstad
Principal
Jeff Pierson
Executive Director of School Safety, Jeffco Public Schools