Great Bend USD 428 issued a notice on Wednesday, warning parents and community members that there is a statewide alert for school safety. The warning comes after multiple schools throughout the nation have recently received fake calls of active shooters or pending violence.

The local alert notes that law enforcement and the Kansas State Department of Education have confirmed widespread threats (swatting calls) being made against schools nationwide.

“After fully investigating these reports, authorities believe this is a hoax,” the notice states. “USD 428 has not received a direct threat or swatting call at this time, but as advised by law enforcement, our schools and administration are monitoring the situation with caution.

“The safety and security of our students and staff remain our top priority. Our district has protocols and procedures; we are prepared to respond should the need arise. All schools are operating as normal at this time.”

Officials at Ellinwood USD 355 and Hoisington USD 431 said there have been no threats in their districts.

However, administrators are aware of what’s been going on statewide. Hoisington Superintendent Patrick Crowdis said they are in contact with the police and have taken precautions in the event something were to happen. 

“The building administrators are in contact with one another,” Crowdis said. “If a threat was made or something was to happen at another school, the other administrators and myself would be informed.”

What is swatting?

“Swatting” is the term used for making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. It can refer to a person who makes a false report to the police to make them startle, arrest or even harm an unsuspecting victim. A hoax call to Wichita police in 2017 led to police shooting an innocent man.

School threats are nothing new. It’s been five years since someone wrote “March 7 Shool Shooting” on a men’s bathroom wall at Great Bend High School, with the word “school” misspelled. The message was discovered two weeks before that date and there was an increased police presence inside the building and around its perimeter on March 7. Approximately 150 students were absent from GBHS that day, according to school officials. There were also 56 students absent from Great Bend Middle School, where absenteeism was usually in the mid-30s.

Great Bend schools routinely conduct emergency drills required by the state, which includes fire drills, tornado drills and crisis drills.

Additional reporting by Riley Brungardt.