Marshfield High School Searched, No Threats Found

Update: School will resume as normal on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The threats are not believed to be credible. Additional police presence will be maintained at Marshfield High School this week as a precaution.

Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) School District of Marshfield Superintendent Dr. Ryan Christianson addressed parents in an email regarding the bomb threat discovered Tuesday morning which led to the early dismissal of Marshfield High School students.

[Related: Marshfield High School Responds to New Bomb Threat]

The threat, which was written on a bathroom stall and referenced a specific time of 1 p.m. Tuesday, is not believed to be credible. A complete sweep of the high school revealed no bomb or any other specific threat.

In the email, the superintendent stated:

“At 10:50 a.m. today (12/17/19), I received a call on my cell phone from the high school administration and school resource officer that they had just received a student report of a new bomb threat message that had been discovered on a boys’ bathroom stall at Marshfield High School.

At the time of this call, I was attending a meeting at the Marshfield Police Department (MPD). As a result of my location, I was able to confer with MPD Assistant Chief, Pat Zeps, regarding this new threat. A decision was made to immediately initiate an early release of the high school building.

The MPD deployed additional officers to the high school to assist with the early release, investigate the new threat, and assist with a sweep of the building. I received a text message from Mike Nicksic, high school principal, at 12:14 p.m. indicating all students had been cleared from the building.

Because the threatening message was very specific in time and location to the high school, district administration elected to keep all remaining students in grades 4K through 8 in session with a regular release and a regular afternoon bus run. High school students who ride the bus were taken home by bus at the time of release.

While this new threatening message was and still is believed to be NOT credible, the decision was made to release the high school building as an extreme precaution. This decision was framed on the desire to err on the side of safety for students and staff. The MPD continues to investigate this new, additional school safety threat.

Details specific to this new threat will be shared as they become known and can be released.

In the meantime, please be aware that the high school building has been searched and no bomb or other specific threat has been found. This building search has included a complete sweep of every classroom, utility room, etc. and all student lockers (regular and physical education).

We empathize deeply with the mental, physical, and emotional toll these circumstances have taken on students, parents, staff, and the community as a whole. Much of the special programming that was delivered to high school students this morning addressed things such as coping skills and seeking adult support as needed. This special program was delivered to all high school students prior to the early release. The District is working on making the program available to all parents and staff as well.

These resources and recommendations can be helpful to parents and staff, in addition to students, who may be experiencing anxiety and/or other challenges during these recent events.

No decisions have been made yet regarding school sessions for tomorrow or the remainder of the week. We will make an announcement about our plans as soon as we are able.”