Three Springfield Public School District campuses dismissed as usual Thursday afternoon, shortly after a lockdown earlier in the day was lifted.
The move was a precautionary measure as officials with the Greene County Sheriff’s office and other law enforcement searched for a federal fugitive who had been spotted in the 3100 block of W. Roxbury in southwest Springfield.
The situation prompted a lockdown of Bright Stars Early Childhood Center, Jeffries Elementary School and Carver Middle School that morning.
As the search for the suspect did not directly involve SPS, officials executed an external lockdown, which included securing all exterior doors while activity inside continued as usual. No students were allowed outside the building during that time.
“Our goal is to keep school day as normal as possible, says SPS Spokesperson Theresa Bledsoe. “If not a direct threat, they [students] may not even know that something is happening outside of school building.”
Bledsoe says that’s so the students' focus can remain on the school day.
She adds that considering some new security upgrades this year, the external lockdown isn’t too much different than everyday external precautions.
“If you went to a school today, you would have to be buzzed in after start time,” Bledsoe said.
The district has installed magnetic door locks, an external call button, and camera at the main entrance of each school.
Thursday’s lockdown of the three schools was lifted prior to 2 p.m., but deputies were to maintain a presence in the area during dismissal and into the evening.
Lockdown lifted at three SPS schools; dismissal to proceed as normal. http://t.co/V3VUKH4Cty #SGF
— Springfield Public Schools (@officialSPS) August 14, 2014
Bledsoe says if the lockdown would have remained in place by the time school let out, parents would be notified via social media or the AlertNow system. Students would then follow the guidelines laid out by school’s emergency response plan depending on the situation. That could include, among other things, sheltering in place, or relocating to another area.
The school says Carver’s Y-Teens afterschool program will operate as scheduled Thursday but all other evening activities, practices and events at Carver have been canceled.
