Lockport Township High School’s two campuses went into lockdown for two hours Friday afternoon after District 205 officials received a “threatening phone call,” according to the district. Both campuses have since reopened as the threat was found to be not credible.
“We always take any kind of threat to our school safety seriously,” Superintendent Robert McBride said in a video the district posted Friday, noting Lockport police officers walked through each building “to ascertain the safety of the building.”
The threat in Lockport followed recent soft lockdowns of Rich Township High School District 227 and Park Forest-Chicago Heights District 163 after a social media threat circulated. Similarly, on Friday after police determined there was no immediate threat to students’ safety, District 205 initiated their “stay put” policy, allowing teachers to resume instruction while students stayed in their classrooms.
“Both of the buildings were safe, and are safe,” McBride said after the school reopened. “We will always be in communication with our parents so that you know what we know and you know what is happening.”
McBride said some district parents came to the school during the lockdown, which he said creates “a very unsafe situation” as they can block entrances for emergency vehicles. On Friday, parent vehicles temporarily blocked two ambulances from getting into East Campus to help students with medical conditions unrelated to the lockdown.
McBride added another helpful practice is to offer students downtime in the wake of a day with added stress at school.
“It is so important not just to get into your weekend activities. I’d ask you to take a pause, because it creates incredible anxiety for students,” he said. :It certainly does for our staff as well.”
The lockdown came the same day as the school’s homecoming football game, which was to continue as scheduled Friday night, McBride said. The school also planned to move forward with its homecoming dance planned for Saturday night.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com