Concerns raised by a parent over a reported threat at Iola Elementary School have prompted school administrators to explain how the district responds to student threats, communicates with families and handles student discipline.
The concerns were outlined in a letter submitted to the Register by a parent who said an elementary student threatened to “kill her child” and another student on April 16. According to the letter, which the Register kept private in order to protect the student’s identity, the incident was reported immediately to school staff and administration.
Iola Elementary Principal Andy Gottlob confirmed the threat occurred. “The child that made the threat was sent to the office,” Gottlob said Thursday, adding that a staff member monitored the student while walking to the office.
Gottlob said procedures were followed and discipline was issued. “That child received consequences,” he said. “They got their consequence just like any other student.”
District officials declined to disclose the exact disciplinary action, citing student privacy and district policy. “We don’t disclose what kind of discipline has been assigned,” Superintendent Stacey Fager said. “That parent wouldn’t want us to tell another parent what happened to their child. So, discipline is assigned, but we don’t share what that discipline is.”
Gottlob acknowledged parents are often frustrated when disciplinary details cannot be shared. “Usually the parents don’t like that, because they want to know exactly what the discipline was,” he said.
IN THE parent’s letter, concerns were also raised after the student who made the threat was reportedly on the playground with the threatened student several days later. The parent wrote that seeing the student at recess caused distress and fear for the child.
Gottlob said fully separating students inside a large elementary school building can be difficult. “When you’re taking 60 to 80 kids out to recess after lunch, we’ve got at least five, six adults out there supervising,” he said. “But we cannot deny a student recess after they’ve received their consequence.” He added that with more than 600 students in the building, students may still encounter one another in hallways, lunchrooms or during recess periods.
Gottlob explained that after a threat is reported, staff members investigate the situation through conversations with students, witnesses and staff, along with reviewing available camera footage. “We use every possible means to figure out exactly what happened in any type of situation,” Gottlob said. “We’re going to make sure that we’ve done our due diligence to make sure that we’ve covered every possible aspect.”
Possible disciplinary responses can include in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension or loss of privileges, depending on the severity of the incident, Gottlob noted.
He added that administrators do not rely solely on one student’s account. “We talk to the student. We talk to other people that may have seen or heard whatever happened,” he said. “But also, what did adults see or hear at that time?”
Gottlob said the district evaluates threats depending on the circumstances and the age of the students involved. “If we have a threat that is written, that’s pretty credible,” he said. “If we have adults or other kids that have actually heard what somebody says, that’s pretty darn credible.”
In more serious cases, administrators may involve law enforcement or the school resource officer. “Our administrators have a great relationship with the Iola Police Department, and they come in and assist with questioning sometimes,” Fager said.
However, Gottlob noted that threats at the elementary level are often handled differently than those involving older students. “At the elementary level, we don’t usually have anything that rises to that point,” Gottlob said. “Middle school and high school, a different story. You have different ages of kids and their access and stuff to other things. But, I’m not trying to say that things can’t happen at the elementary level. We’ve even had kindergartners say those kinds of things to other students and we still discipline them.”
He pointed to social media, YouTube and video games as sources children may be exposed to inappropriate language and violent themes.
THE DISTRICT also addressed questions about policies involving separation of students following threats or conflicts. “We don’t necessarily have a policy on separating,” Gottlob said. “It’s really difficult to do that.”
