Cloverdale High School to have increased security this week

CLOVERDALE -- Following the pattern of a similar recent threat at North Putnam High School, the Cloverdale High School administration discovered a threatening message in one of the bathroom stalls just before early dismissal Monday afternoon.

"Yesterday, a student found a message on the restroom wall referenced April 2, 2014 and Bomb + School = fun," Cloverdale Community School Corporation Safety Specialist Sonny Stoltz said Tuesday.

"There was no mention of anything else or any specific person or groups," Stoltz added. "Whether the message was meant to be a sick joke or something else, we are treating it as real and taking efforts to protect our students and staff."

The Cloverdale Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies, including the Indiana State Police, were on hand Tuesday morning and reportedly will continue to be present in the school until the source of the threat is found and to help deter any threatening activity.

"First and foremost, we're going to be aggressively working with the school to keep everyone safe," Cloverdale Police Sgt. Charlie Hallam said. "We're going to be having extra security measures in place. Right now our concentration is at the high school. We have no indication that the other schools are at risk at this time."

Due to the nature of the threat, the CCSC administration and local law enforcement got an early start Tuesday morning as bomb dogs were brought in to sweep the school before the students and staff arrived.

"At 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday, the Indiana State Police Bomb Squad began a thorough search of Cloverdale High School," Stoltz advised.

"We started our day off today (Tuesday) with a clear school. We've had great support from the local police, and they'll be here 'til we get to the point where we feel the threat isn't eminent and feel that the school is safe again."

Stoltz did note that there are currently several students being interviewed and the administration has collected a lot of information, but the source of the threat has not been found.

"We're doing the best we possibly can," he added. "Our goal here is to find out who they are and whether they were being silly or joking.

"We want them to understand that we're taking this seriously," Stoltz stressed. "We are treating this as a threat. Whoever thought this was funny, they need to understand that this is a felony at this school."

Cloverdale High School will remain at a safety level 2 (lockdown) for the remainder of the week, meaning that students will go to class and not be out in the halls except to move from class to class.

"Safety level 2 keeps students in class and out of hallways during class periods, classroom doors will remain shut and locked, windows and blinds will remain closed and covered and classroom instruction will continue," Stoltz noted. "All students who drive, ride buses or get dropped off will enter through door 19 of the high school and will be inspected by school administration and police."

An administrator or staff member will escort any student needing to move during class time.

"The students have been great. It's really been a test," Stoltz said. "We want the community and our parents to know that we are taking this seriously. We want their kids to come to school. We will have law enforcement presence in the building for the remainder of the week or until administrators feel assured the threat has ended."

Anyone who may have additional information is asked to contact the school administration.