HELENA — Since September, schools in several Montana communities - including Helena, Belgrade, Missoula, Browning, Hardin, and Billings - have been the target of threats.
While it may seem like more threats are being made against schools, is that actually the case?
“I would say here within the last month or two with school getting back in session, we’ve seen a huge uptick, probably larger than we’ve seen in a while,” said Corporal Kent Anderson of the Helena Police Department.
Anderson is part of the Montana Analysis & Technical Information Center (MATIC), which tracks threats and helps districts across the state determine the credibility of threats.
Anderson said it’s typical to see threats made in the beginning toward the end of the school year, but what is different now is how threats are delivered.
“We see a lot more of the online, social media—whether it’s via Snapchat, TikTok, various social media platforms,” Anderson said.
Social media also means threats can come in from anywhere.
Helena Public Schools Superintendent Rex Weltz said when a threat comes in to Helena Public Schools, it triggers an immediate reaction.
“First of all, primary responsibility—student and staff safety,” Weltz said.
Weltz said the district is required to perform response drills each year—that includes things like lockdowns, lock-ins and earthquake drills.
If a threat is made against school safety, Weltz said actions are taken right away, which may include locking down one or multiple schools or keeping kids and teachers in their classrooms.
At the same time, the district works with law enforcement and MATIC to determine whether the threat is credible.
MATIC has access to a national database, so they can see if a threat is one that is popping up in districts across the country and not credible, or if it’s a local, valid threat.
“That kind of kids off the investigation on the criminal side,” Anderson said.
Once the district understands what the threat is, where it is coming from and how to handle it safely, information is then communicated it out to the public.
“I’ll make sure our students and staff are safe, and we’ll communicate second,” Weltz said. “What I don’t want to do is try to communicate it out and not take action on the inside.”
All threat s— valid or not — take a toll on both students and staff.
“I watch my staff and my students walk down the hallway in the middle of a shelter-in-place or a lockdown, the burden is heavy,” Weltz said.
Reporting threats is critical to keeping schools safe.
“It may be something different than what we’re seeing,” Anderson said. “If we’re missing that, then we’re missing huge pieces.”
You can report threats to law enforcement or school officials. Helena Public Schools also uses the Montana Cares app, which provides an anonymous way to report school safety or mental health concerns.
