Local High School Enhances Security Measures Amid Threat
HIDALGO – A social media threat spread like wildfire over the weekend, traveling hundreds of miles from California to Texas.
The school threat was directed at Valley View High School in Moreno, California; however, it was confused by some parents to be aimed at Valley View High School in Hidalgo, Texas.
Valley View Independent School District along with the Hidalgo Police Department investigated the threat, ultimately ruling it as a hoax.
Even though the alert wasn’t a threat to the district, Superintendent Rolando Ramirez said the district took action overnight.
“We felt that it's important, we don't want to not do something and then find out after the fact and the safety of our students and our staff come first,” said Ramirez.
Valley View ISD sent a voice message to all parents, posted on social media and sent letters notifying parents of the incident. The school district also implemented additional security measures.
- Two constables will be placed at the high school along with two police officers currently stationed there.
- Ten extra securities will be posted throughout the district; one extra at each campus and three extra at the high school.
- Nine directors will be stationed at the high school. Each director will assist in supervision of each building.
- Metal detectors will be purchased for all the campuses.
- STOPit app will be installed district-wide which allows for anonymous reporting of bullying and any potential threats at any time.
- Alarms will be installed on doors that should not be opened during the day to prevent intruders from entering.
Ramirez said, since the high school is their biggest campus, with many entries and exit, officers will “start off with one entry and one exit, in the morning and afternoon, to make sure that all the students pass through those (metal) detectors and that nobody comes from any of the sides.”
The district narrowed their search for the metal detectors to two businesses. Ramirez says he wants to have them in place by the end of the week.