Posted September 9, 2024
Along with many school districts around the state, the Plymouth School District has adopted the Wisconsin School Threat Assessment and Management Protocol to thoroughly vet the credibility of potential threats to school safety.
“Any time there are threats, we take them very seriously,” said Plymouth High School Assistant Principal Andy Novak.
The protocol was developed by the Office of School Safety, which is part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. A flowchart and supporting materials guide school authorities and law enforcement as they evaluate a given situation in an effort to keep everybody safe.
If the threat is immediate and credible, students and families will be notified promptly. For this reason, parents/guardians are urged to update contact information in Skyward Family Access and to sign up for Skylert text alerts.
The process is very detailed, with loops for continual evaluation. Ideally, multiple people work through the flowchart independently, then compare conclusions.
Plymouth High School Principal Joe Brandl asked people not to give too much credibility to rumors while authorities are still investigating, and to understand that schools may not be able to share full details, due to student privacy and security reasons.
“Sometimes it’s hard not to fall into the trap of: ‘I saw it on Facebook, so it must be true,’” Mr. Brandl said. “But everybody should know that we are going through the steps thoroughly.”
School administrators encourage students, families, and community members to reach out to them or to local law enforcement any time they become aware of a potential threat, so that it can be investigated.
“School safety is of the utmost importance to us,” Mr. Brandl said.
Learn more:
• Explore the School Safety section of our Frequently Asked Questions webpage for more information about our focus on the safety and security of our students and staff.
• Visit the Wisconsin School Threat Assessment and Management Protocol website.
Wisconsin School Threat Assessment and Management Protocol Process Flowchart
