Ontario School District officials will not answer questions about why there has been an “increased police presence” at Ontario schools.
The district posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday, Feb. 11, that people “likely noticed an increased police presence” at Ontario schools. The uptick in law enforcement is a “collaboration” and part of a “broader strategy to build a secure and welcoming environment for our students and staff.”
The post noted that heavy police presence doesn’t always mean there is a threat or potential for danger.
“We will continue to keep parents informed if there is a threat or risk to student safety,” the post said.
Ontario Superintendent Nikki Albisu, Bret Uptmor, Ontario School Board chair and Taryn Smith, the district’s communications coordinator, didn’t respond to questions about the specific circumstances leading the district to have more police at its schools.
The district’s silence underscores a practice of not fully and publicly addressing potential threats of violence.
The Enterprise reviewed how the district responded to a pair of threats – one in December and another in September that led to the arrest of a student. Documents were released about the incidents recently following a Dec. 19 public records request by the Enterprise.
Oregon school districts are required to communicate any threats of violence on school grounds, according to Marc Siegel, a public relations representative with the Oregon Department of Education.
When a school or district initiates a safety action, be it locking down or evacuating a school due to a safety threat, it must communicate electronically in “culturally appropriate language” to parents and guardians of students attending the school. Communication must occur within 24 hours after the school has acted, according to House Bill 3584, which became effective in 2024.
Siegel said the electronic messages must describe the issue and the duration from when the action was initiated until it concluded. School officials must also explain what action they took to resolve the safety threat.
The law, Siegel said, does not specify what type of electronic communication a district must use.
“Plastic weapon”
In early December, a student at Alameda Elementary School brought an air soft pellet gun on the bus to school, according to an Alameda Elementary School incident report obtained through the public records request. An air soft gun is a plastic replica of a firearm.
The records document that the student brought a replica of a Glock automatic handgun. The report noted the student waved it in front of the school bus camera and dry-fired it at point-blank range at other students, blowing air in their faces, according to the records. The report noted the students were joking.
School administrators were alerted when another student mentioned the airsoft gun to a teacher once they arrived at school. The student who carried the toy gun showed remorse when brought to the office, according to reports.
After conducting a threat assessment that included interviewing the student and the parents, the administrators did not deem the student a threat, according to the report.
The records note that the student was suspended for three days and went before Albisu for an expulsion hearing. The district wouldn’t provide the outcome of the hearing.
On the day of the incident, the district sent a text notification about the situation through a subscription-based messaging platform, Remind. Use of that system requires parents or family to download the application on a cell phone to receive messages or log in to an account online. It’s not clear from records released by the district the time the district sent the message or to how many accounts it was distributed.
Later in the evening, around 6 p.m., a parent criticized the district on Facebook for not being transparent about the issue.
“As a parent, it’s super upsetting to be kept in the dark,” the parent wrote.
Around 8 p.m. that evening, the district posted a copy of the message it sent through its messaging platform to its Facebook page.
The message described how an Alameda student brought a “plastic weapon” on the bus “today.” The message said administrators investigated the situation and “it appeared there was no intent to harm other students or staff.”
The message notes the district and administrators took “appropriate action upon notification, followed safety protocols and consequences were addressed between the student and the child’s parents/guardians.”
The district encouraged parents to search a student’s backpack for weapons, including toys. This message was gone from the district Facebook page as of Thursday, Feb. 6.
One day after the gun episode, the district on Dec. 13 published a “safety reminder” on its website that broadly referred to the incident, but provided no detail.
“Sometimes, things accidentally make it to school without malicious intent,” the statement said.
At the time, Andrea Buchholz, principal of Alameda Elementary School, along with Albisu, Smith, and Uptmor didn’t respond to Enterprise questions seeking information about the incident.
“Likely not credible”
In another incident, the district notified parents by text on Sept. 16 about a threat against the Ontario School District circulating on social media. The district told parents the threat was “likely not credible” and provided no details.
“Thus far, Ontario police have concluded that the threat is likely not credible and does not pose a risk to staff or students,” the notification said.
Days later, Oregon State Police had troopers at Ontario schools, but Lt. Kurt Marvin couldn’t confirm whether that was related to a threat that day.
Police initiated an investigation after someone associated with the student brought the matter to authorities, according to Payette County Sheriff Andy Creech. He declined to elaborate.
On Oct. 10, the 15-year-old son of a teacher in the Ontario district was arrested in connection with the threat. The teen lives in New Plymouth but attends an Ontario school, authorities said. Creech said police seized “digital information” during a search that supported the criminal charges.
“I was never briefed on threats occurring on social media,” he said.
On. Oct. 18, Albisu issued a statement in a newsletter after news reports appeared about the student’s case that mentioned no details about the crime but explained that security across the district had been ramped up. In the Oct. 18 statement, Albisu explained that with “local news media highlighting the court proceedings and details of a New Plymouth resident linked to the Ontario School District,” she wanted to remind the community about the administrators “unwavering commitment” to safety.
“This is why we investigate every tip to the fullest potential and are not shy about involving state and local law enforcement,” she said.
School officials didn’t respond to written questions about the matter at the time.
State law and standards surrounding threats
Siegel said the state education agency sets the standards for how schools respond to safety threats, including acts of violence.
School districts use a student behavioral threat assessment to identify threatening behavior and communications made by a student. The districts are expected to meet with a state regional emergency operation coordinator annually.
The Enterprise requested an interview with the coordinator in for eastern Oregon, but the agency instead answered only written questions.
Siegel said the regional coordinator has met with the Malheur Education Service District in recent months.
Kevin Purnell, the education district’s school safety and prevention specialist, said the threat assessment is intended to gauge a potential threat by a student. If an assessment team deems a threat by a student as serious, a team of specialists in mental health, law enforcement and others helps the student and mitigates a threat, according to Purnell.
The goal is to prevent school shootings by identifying and addressing concerning behaviors early, providing services to students, and maintaining school and community safety.
Purnell said that while there are situations where a student should face discipline
for threatening behavior, the threat assessment is not considered discipline.
“The idea is to get students help and keep people safe,” he said.
“We are always communicating”
While state law does not specify what type of electronic communication a district should use, state education agency guidance clarifies how crucial it is to have a clear communication plan before an incident occurs.
When threats occur within the school community, accurate and timely information must be sent out to provide clarity and transparency and to build trust, the training document notes.
People want to know how a community is keeping students and staff safe, the guidance notes.
“This is also the reason to communicate with them and an even greater reason to be honest with them,” the training documents note.
Not all information should be shared, the document points out, but, critical details to inform parents, staff and the community must be sent out as “expediently” as possible.
“We are always communicating whether we are saying anything or not,” the document notes. “It is just a matter of whether we are doing it well.”
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