October 24, 2024
RE: Perimeter Lockdown at WPS
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Early this afternoon, Watervliet Public Schools was notified by the Berrien County Sheriff's Department that Lakeshore Public Schools and St. Joseph Public Schools were in lockdown due to a potential threat. Out of an abundance of caution, all WPS campuses implemented a perimeter lockdown, per our district crisis plan. Classroom activities continued as scheduled while the appropriate safety measures were implemented. The perimeter lockdown was maintained until near the end of the school day, per law enforcement request. Students were released in the normal manner but with all staff available for extra supervision.
Today’s incident was a result of a statewide “swatting” event that was initiated outside of the United States. Approximately a dozen school districts across the state were affected by this. A “swatting” incident is when a person or entity makes a fake threat report in order to elicit a response from law enforcement. There have been several of these incidents across the state this school year already.
We are relieved to share that there was no actual threat to our district and that our staff and students were never in danger. Student safety is our number one concern at Watervliet Public Schools. We thank our local law enforcement for their support of our safety and security efforts, our staff for their professional implementation of our safety plan, our students for their cooperation, and our school community for their continued support.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact me at rseager@watervlietps.org.
Respectfully,
Ric Seager
Superintendent of Schools
