I appreciate the seriousness with which District 308 and the Oswego Police Department have handled this situation. We should now be attentive to the cause and provide the needed assistance to the students who are vulnerable.

In lieu of what has happened in Connecticut, we cannot be too careful! This is a very scary world.

Thank you to the Oswego School District and the OPD who are staying on top of this situation, especially in light of the tragedy in Newton, CT this morning. Staying in touch with the community is incredibly important! We need to keep our children safe!

Dear Community Resident,

The parents at District 308 received an automated phone call yesterday. A follow email was also sent after the automated call. The District is doing what they NEED to protect our Children.

The Connecticut Shooting is tragic, as I'm still watching the events unfold. And our local authorities and the District have stepped up based solely on Rumors! How much more can you expect from them.

If you did not receive a call, I suggest you contact the district to make sure you are on the automated calling list. And while you're at it, give them your email address and they will follow up an email too. You know, just in case you miss the call.

I commend the Local Authorities and the District for taking the initiative to step up and hopefully deter something like the Connecticut Shooting happening closer to home.

Sincerely,
A Parent of a Elementary Student at District 308

Here is the email we received from the school:

Good afternoon. This is a special announcement from School District 308.
It has come to our attention that rumors have been circulating around our school community about December 21, our last day of school before winter break, and winter solstice, which marks the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar.

The media hype surrounding this date has resulted in predictions that include such things as a national power outage to the end of the world. The same type of predictions have been made in the past, including events surrounding the transition to the Year 2000 and all that was predicted with Y2K. These situations resulted in anxiety, rumors and predictions prior to the actual date.

We are contacting parents and staff members because we have learned of student-initiated rumors about school violence occurring on or before December 21. School safety is a priority for School District 308 and such rumors about a threat to our students and staff are taken seriously.

(continued....)

(....continuation of email)

Our students are encouraged to discuss any such rumors or threats of school violence with adults, including their parents, guardians, administration, faculty and staff members. Parents are asked to discuss this issue with their children and report to their school’s principal any information you feel we should know.

The administration is working closely with law enforcement. Over the next several days, security will be heightened. School District 308 wants to assure everyone that rumors or threats about school safety concerns are investigated by both administration and law enforcement. Students initiating rumors or threats will be held responsible for their actions.

It is important for us to communicate with parents and staff members the school district’s awareness and initial plans to address these disruptions to our educational system. Please visit our district’s website for updates and contact information.

I hope that all of this has 308 administrators looking at the security issues in our schools. It astounds me that we do not have more security measures in place. Not all (if any) schools require you to show photo identification when you come in, and the fact that we have so recently built schools without better security measures in place shocks me. I'd much prefer to see front doors locked and people buzzed in than relying on the hope and prayer that somebody bothers to swing by the office and grab a sticker to identify his/herself as a visitor. This is a really troubling issue for our family.

In this day and age, we need more than the idea that a school secretary recognizes the person in the office. It's too easy to get into too many schools for anyone -- including those parents who are well known to school staff. I'm more worried about domestic violence coming into the school than I am a random shooter. It's all just plain awful to think about. You can't stop everyone and everything, but we should have better security than we do in a lot of schools!

Dear God in Heaven what is going on. Sandy Creek Elementary in Connecticut had a shooting 27 dead, 20 children and 6 adults and the shooter, this according to the state police. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow that these families are going through. My heart is heavy for all the parents and friends of all these precious people that were taken too soon. Thoughts and prayers for all.

Please tell me this is not what we're looking at here. I'm sick to my stomach after hearing what's going on in the school right now. I can't say that my children will be in attendance on Friday.

School shootings are skyrocketing. Mass murders are through the roof. Suicide rates are up. The world isnt going to end. Our humanity is.

I am the grandparent of a student at Grande Park Elementary and just learned today that there is no security measure, ie. locked doors, at the entrance. Is this true? Parents, there is a board meeting on Monday. I know from years of experience, if you want improvements, be it automated messages or locked doors, you should be at that meeting.

So Community Resident, I assume you are looking for something like the statement of a man who fell off of a skyscraper. As he passed an open window, a person standing there heard him say, "Okay,so far!" The old saying of 'No news is good news' applys in this case. Let those in authority take care of business. I am aware of the entry policy, to get in the school buildings. There is only one point of entry and you have to identify yourself to get any further into the building. You can imagine a bad person behind every obstacle and it can drive you crazy, but there is nothing you can do about it until something happens. Overall, people are not 'whacked' and are not a threat, so relax and enjoy life. Spend quality time with your loved ones and do the best you can.

My kid's elementary school, lock all exterior doors during school hours. Photos are taken of the visitor and if they do not recognize you, you must present a photo id.

There are systems in place to protect our children at all times. My ex-husband is not allowed to be anywhere near her school. If he attempts to sign in to pick her up or access her classroom in anyway, a siren is set off in the office alerting them about an unapproved visitor.

Our schools are as safe as we can make them without turning them into prisons.

And Community Resident... An update was just released, via phone and email, telling us to check their wesite.

I just got a call from the school district that there is an update on the website. The only problem is, I can't get into the website because everyone in town is trying to get on the website now. Why didn't they just give the message in the phone call???? This is very frustrating. Plank cancelled their dance tonight.

Who is "Community Resdent"? No name, accusations, demands? Lots of words - try some action. My husband is a bus driver for District 308 and we get the updates by phone and email. So, no, there is no coverup by the school district, just plain concern for the children and staff.

My daughter was told by a teacher that the Plank dance is cancelled, but I cannot find anything on Plank's website stating that, so maybe it is still on.

All these ideas are great for your typical safety measures. But someone determined to cause death isn't going to find a secretary asking for an ID much of an obstacle. From what I have read, the same apporach is used on Sandy Creek. The principal did what she could, but what do we realistically expect is going to happen when a man dressed in fatigues with 3 guns and hundred of rounds of ammo walks into a school office? The only answer to that type of threat is a corresponding show of force. Should we start arming the secretaries? A full time armed guard at the front door?

@Plainfield: I never said in my statement I was in favor of total lockdown. I don't tjink you understand what a lockdown is. You saying this is a safe community doesn't do a thing to protect our children. Security measures will. And any person that has legitimate business at a school would not/ should not balk at these additional measures. I think it's really weird you think it "crazy" to be buzzed in. Maybe we disagree because clearly I would be willing to do so much more than you in order to keep my kids, and yours, safe

I questioned the increased security at OHS when I dropped my son off this morning. Sure, an increase police presence made for quite the show, but did anyone else notice that in the back lot, there is an area that is unsecured due to the construction? Students are required to have their ID available upon questioning, but can anyone with a tool box and hard hat can walk in a different door? In some areas of construction, the only thing that separates the "secure" school from the "construction zone" is a piece of poly, or drywall. I have asked in the past, what background checks, if any are done on the contractors that freely walk in and out of our schools. Still waiting for a response. Hopefully, someone might think that question isn't so silly anymore.

Like everyone else I am saddened and sickened by the violence in Connecticut today. My heart goes out to those poor people who were hurt or injured in this senseless, evil act. I am all for ANY ways we can think of to protect our children. Of course if there was a way to do it I guess after Columbine, Virginia Tech, NIU etc. etc. something would have been done already. Thats the hard part to accept. We are vunerable to this violence and while we should do everything we can to make our schools as safe as we can, there is nothing we can do thats 100% effective against a deranged person determined to cause this harm. Just last night after hearing my daughters telling me of the threats of violence at Oswego I explained how serious this was and that these threats had led to viloence in other places. I told them what they should do in the event of an attack to protect themselves. I know Oswego officials are doing everything they can to address this disturbing problem.
We have issues at the school such as space, busing, taxes, etc. that seem a little less important today than they did yesterday. I hope we can have a forum at the school where we parents can discuss how we as a communuty will go forward from here and how we will address this viloence issue as best we possibly can. I hope this is an issue we can all come together on and try and find a way to keep our kids safe.

I too rec'd the e-mail from 308, talking about all the rumors going around & that the only credible information was the one about next week (Friday Dec 21) and only at OHS. I have friends that are parents of kids at OEHS that told me that today there was a cause for concern due to one student who had been bullied. One friend's son was in that student's first hour class & 19 students were missing. They also had a lot of extra police presence. While that may have been a rumor, it's disconcerting to hear the school district say it was nothing. At the same time the kids are saying it's real & there are extra police there. The 308 email also said to calm your student's fears. Really? How? I've not been told of any changes except for "increased security". Does that mean one extra security person without a gun? Does that mean metal detecters? Does that mean 10 police officers in the hallways? There's usually some kind of warning ahead of these incidents & OHS has been given warning.

That question has already addressed . Although I can not get into details how i know but that area is monitored . And as for Jane , Oswego schools are updated with secured doors . OHS is monitored before and after school begins. It is also locked down once school begins and you need to show an ID and be buzzed in once inside. The Administration and Security there is top notch this year run by experienced professionals which all put the safety of the students first . They will go out of their way to keep your kids safe . I've seen this first hand recently and despite all the tragic events that happens unexpectly in schools , I would feel comfortable sending my children there. Safety is always an important issue in schools and should recognized all year round . The only sad thing about this is , the security is the lowest paid people on the districts payroll but most of them would give everything they have to keep your kids safe ..

I went to a high school that we had to go through metal detectors to even get in and have photo id. It seems extreme, but worth it.

I'm not surprised. I've lived here for 26 years. With what is moving in the neighboorhoods. Nothing but trouble. It was bad when i went to school and it has gotten alot worse. Thats why my son doesnt go to school here

All this is meaningless...what are we going to do as parents to teach our children to respect themselves, each other, the community, and humanity as a whole. Say what you will, but this needs to be as strongly enforced as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

This is very serious. The threat at OHS is real and it was on the 5 & 10:00 news last night on chanel 5. I do believe the district is doing what they believe is enough by adding police BUT in the wake of CT yesterday and this threat being against staff and students at OHS this week (they originally said for Friday but could be prior to Friday) it is my strong opinion that they close OHS for the week and just add a week on to the end of the year. Yes, this will give them an extended winter break BUT this will give them time to investigate and figure out all who is involved and try to get these kids cought so by the time school resumes in January it will be safer. Am I over reacting?? Maybe to some, others are right there with me. I don't care. If this is real and considering what happened in ct yesterday it is better to be safe than sorry . it is better to over react to keep our students and staff safe than to end up on the news and what we saw with Columbine, CT and others becomes us. Difference is CT had no warning, it couldn't be prevented. We do have a warning, we cannot ignore it and just hope for the best. It is all of our jobs, parents and the school to do ALL we can to prevent this from taking place. Do you wanna be the one to say "ah, nothin's goona happen" and turn your head and then in the chance these kids are very serious and it does happen, live with that fact that we could have done more, but chose not to and now our kids and staff are gone forever.

also, the schools do have securtiy measures in place with keeping "strangers" from entering. Problem with this particular threat at OHS is.... it is the shcools own students planning this. They are already IN the school and unless every kid and backpack is searched upon entry to the school (which isn't going to happen) then it doesn't matter if there are police there. Unless there are police in every classroom, every hallway, every bathroom, ya get my point.. it doesn't matter. It only takes seconds to pull out a weapon and use it. I'm not trying to freak people out more, but even one of the students posted this fact and that's why they are very scared to go to school next week even with some police there. CLOSE THE SCHOOL!!!!

Its nice to know that all the high schools have great security measures. Now, what about middle and elementary schools? I have a child that goes to a district 308 elementary school and we do not have these security measures. I challenge 308 to step up and take protective measures for all 308 schools. I do not think that enough has been done to make parents feel safe enough to send their children to school next week. I am considering having my child stay home. Just don't feel like everything has been handled well. I can say this because we received the automated message, 308 updates on the website. Like someone mentioned in previous comments it is better to be safe than ignore the threats like nothing happened. I am a very concerned parent of a 308 student and I am sure there are others out there who feel the same. I respect everyone's thoughts so far. I am just doing what I think is right for my child.

God has been removed from schools and prayer along with it.

We teach kids that there is no God. We teach moral relativism. Political correctness.

Anything but The Truth.

Kids today are taught by government run schools that the universe was created out of nothing by a "big bang". So kids, go out into that meaningless, pointless, chaotic world and try and make something of yourselves. But mention Jesus Christ, and watch how everyone squirms...

And why then are we really that surprised and ask why these things happen? They happen because evil fills the God shaped vacuum left behind by people who reject the author of life itself. Those who love death do these things, incited by Satan.

Your government won't save you. Your president won't save you. Only the Lord, Jesus Christ offers an increasingly depraved world the hope of salvation.

At times like this, evil has manifested itself where God has been removed.

If you or your loved ones don't know Jesus, I pray that you will seek Him as he is the only hope for this world. Those who seek will find Him.

The Bible says we are indeed in the last days and these days will certainly continue to become worse. The Bible says that like a woman's labor pains increase, so will the trouble coming on this world will increase in frequency and intensity.

Salvation through Jesus Christ is the only hope for this world. This is what Christmas was "supposed" to be about - remember?? The gift if our Savior.