A few days before a cautionary cancellation of school and activities in Ridgway Area School District, Superintendent Heather McMahon-Vargas brought up to the school board the possibility of hiring a school resource officer.
Thursday evening, district personnel released a safety message to parents and to the public about an old TikTok video from May 2022 that alleged a school shooting was planned, and listed schools. Ridgway High School was mentioned, without a specific address or other information.
The video was reported by a parent who contacted Ridgway Borough Police, who then contacted McMahon-Vargas at 7:20 p.m. “At approximately 8:39 p.m. the district received a Safe2Say tip stating, ‘There is a list circulating on the internet and through text messages saying there will be a school shooting tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 13, 2024).’
“Due to the increased risk to safety, health and welfare of students and staff,” the school day and all activities Friday were canceled, read a message from the administration.
On Friday, McMahon-Vargas told The Era that hiring a school resource officer had already been under consideration.
“We are working on getting a resource officer,” she said. “Several parents have suggested metal detectors. This morning I visited the Elk County Courthouse and discussed their experience with metal detectors and tested a backpack.
“We are in the very early phase of researching this deterrent method,” the superintendent said. “I want to be very clear though, metal detectors and police are deterrents. Prevention is key. We need to continue to be vigilant.”
The superintendent explained that at the board meeting, she reviewed a letter sent to districts by the state’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency and Department of Education last month regarding school resource officers.
She reviewed a letter issued to districts last month from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
At the meeting, she explained she had started looking at “opportunities to hire or contract a full-time school security personnel or pursue the waiver” if they are unable to hire someone. She spoke with the Ridgway Borough manager and the police, and spoke to other superintendents in the region and throughout the state regarding school security personnel.
She recommended that the district work with Ridgway Borough and the police to “potentially hire a school resource officer full time during the school year for each day students are in session. The most conducive procedure would be to hire a school resource officer through the Ridgway Borough, however if that is not an option, other avenues for hire will be pursued.”
McMahon-Vargas told The Era she will provide the board with additional information about duties and costs of the officer this month, and will “incorporate anticipated costs for the school resource officer into the PCCD Safe Schools Grant.”
The board will review policies related to law enforcement in the school setting this month, too.
On social media, parents of students in the district were outraged, saying this was the third security incident this week. While The Era could not confirm that, the district’s social media last weekend said three tips were sent through Safe2Say “regarding an alleged safety concern at the Ridgway Middle School. All three tips were in regards to one single concern and a known individual.”
Administration, the Elk County District Attorney’s office and Ridgway Borough police investigated and assessed the matter, determining no imminent threat to health, safety or welfare existed.
“It was determined, out of an abundance of caution, that a law enforcement and administrative presence would be at the Ridgway Middle-High School on Monday morning. In addition, that presence will continue throughout the week on campus through increased external patrols and internal law enforcement walk throughs. Both the law enforcement investigation and the threat assessment investigation will continue in this matter through completion,” read the district’s message.
The administration urged students and parents to stay vigilant.
“If you see something, say something, it is not your responsibility to determine if a concern is credible, please report concerns immediately. For immediate concerns call 911; contact your child’s school administrator; call the superintendent; or for anonymous tips send information to safe2saypa.org.”
