IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Iredell-Statesville Schools has responded to two school threats made this week.
Boen Nutting, director of communications and development for the district, said one threat was reported at North Iredell High School and the other at Brawley Middle School. Neither threat was found to be credible.
Brawley Middle School Principal Jimmie Dancy said in a message to parents that he met with the entire eighth grade class Monday to discuss the situation.
Dancy said even though nearly 90 percent of the students had heard about the threat, only four students brought it to the attention of school staff.
"We want to encourage children to build relationships with our teachers and our adults,” Nutting said. “And share things with them so that we can make sure our schools are safe."
The district recently formed a student ambassadors team, comprised of middle school students from all grades and achievement levels. These students serve as study body liaisons who speak with school staff on a regular basis about the issues they’re seeing.
"They were able to share some of the places that they felt were not safe in school or places that might need some more policing,” said Lesa Sipperly, SAP coordinator for Iredell-Statesville Schools.
Sipperly said the students involved seem proactive in wanting to have an impact on their school experience.
“We’ve tried basic things like saying hello, smiling at students you don’t know to try to change the culture [at] school,” Sipperly said. “I think it is slowly changing.”
Sipperly said she sees a need for more mental health resources in schools with the inundation that students receive from things they see on social media.
School leaders hope this program can lead to a line of communication between student and staff, so they feel comfortable coming to them in any situation.
"I think there is a good feeling among students that they can come and talk to us,” Sipperly added. “Not just about school safety for the whole population, but if someone's getting bullied or someone's getting called names."
Principal Dancy is encouraging parents to take time to talk with their children about the importance of reporting threats -- whether in person or via social media -- to adults.
“If you see something, say something,” Nutting said. “Pay attention. Listen to your children, and let us know if you have concerns about your child’s safety at school.”
Nutting said this situation should serve as a reminder to families that making a threat of mass violence on a school in North Carolina is now a felony, and every threat will be investigated accordingly.
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