The following information was sent to families via SchoolMessenger on Friday, May 17 with the subject "Safe2Tell Update". The content has been formatted for the web.
May 17, 2024
Dear West Jefferson Middle School Staff and Families,
Last night we received another Safe2Tell report sharing a safety concern that a student overhead another on a bus say something about making a bomb with Vaseline and bleach.
The Jeffco Public Schools Department of School Safety & Security and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough search of the building yesterday, finding no suspicious items, and we are starting the second search today.
We are continuing to partner with local law enforcement to investigate the situation and determine where the threat and information came from and whether or not these are swatting incidents. The Department of School Safety, along with our School Resource Officer, Deputy Jenkinson, are working together to support our school. There will be additional members of their team here today, as already planned, as a precaution to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Once the building is cleared, we are going to run school as we normally would. We want to reassure you that it is safe for your student to be at school. We are asking staff and students to wait outside on the athletic field until the sweep is completed.
It is important that we continue to take threats seriously. Please take some time to remind your student that any potential safety concerns should be reported to you and to the school, no matter how insignificant they believe it might be. Students may also call the Safe2Tell program to report safety concerns anonymously at 877-542-7233, online at https://safe2tell.org/, or the app (iOS | Android).
What we do know is that all of these situations, whether real or false, are distressing and strip away the sense of security in our schools and communities. We also understand and support a family's right to decide to keep their students home today and will excuse their absence.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our main office at 303-982-3056.
Sincerely,
Kim Halingstad
Principal