Officials working to address rise in threats made against schools

MINNEAPOLIS — A rise in school threats has some administrators working to strike a balance between student safety and minimizing classroom disruptions. 

Several schools were recently forced to either shut down, lock down, or implement e-learning because of threats. Ultimately, thanks to a quick response from impacted districts and law enforcement, these threats didn't come to fruition.

School districts in Otter Tail, Isanti and Aitkin counties all received threats from the same phone number on Monday, according to the Aitkin County sheriff.

Similar threats were given to schools closer to the metro last fall. In at least one instance, the individual threatened to shoot a specific school, and multiple schools in Fergus Falls were closed out of an abundance of caution.

When it comes to striking a balance, Aitkin Superintendent Dan Stifter says he'd rather be told he overreacted.

"When it comes down to it we have roughly a thousand students in our district, and if it comes down to it, I'm going to air on the side of safety every time," Stifter said.

Fergus Falls Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Drake made a statement on Facebook that reads, in part:

"Sadly, anonymous phone calls threatening harm to our schools and communities are becoming more and more frequent... Although situations like today can cause anxiety and fear, we want to provide assurance that our schools are safe. We are also blessed to live in a wonderful community."

Last month, authorities were investigating dozens of threats against schools and Jewish facilities. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested a boy in Bemidji on suspicion of making terroristic threats. Those threats prompted Bemidji Area Schools to switch to an e-learning day at the start of December.