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KEWASKUM- A threat was made to blow up Kewaskum High School (KHS) on Wednesday, May 30. However, only a handful of folks knew about a threat found by a teacher the morning of Wednesday, May 30, and quick thinking averted panic.
According to a Kewaskum Police Department report, KHS principal, Christine Horbas notified Superintendent of Schools Mike Krumm who called police after a bomb threat was found at the school inside a men’s bathroom stall. The message stated “There’s a bomb in school and will blow up on 5-30.”
The report states that Horbas told police she didn’t feel the threat was legitimate for several reasons. First, being that day was noted as senior skip day, she told police that members of the junior class were also planning a skip day.
School officials and law enforcement were unable to substantiate the threat. Horbas and assistant principal Tom Fischer ordered janitors to check the entire school for anything suspicious in nature.
Horbas stated in an interview that with students and teachers inside the building and already beginning their day, school administrators went classroom-to-classroom asking teachers if anything was “amiss” in their rooms. There was no mention to students or teachers of the threat found. “We did not want to alarm teachers; we did not want to alarm students if it was unnecessary,” Horbas stated.
Ultimately, nothing was found amiss nor was any type of explosive found.
Taking a unique approach to the serious situation, a letter to parents was sent on Friday, June 1. Horbas stated they waited because they wanted parents to be able to avoid a rushed weekday exchange between students and parents. She hoped with the weekend, parents would have the time to sit down and have a serious discussion with their children about the seriousness of the situation Horbas went on to say, “We wanted specifically for parents to talk with their children, especially with what happened with those
Hartford children. We wanted to make sure parents are having that first communication with their children about bombs and how inappropriate that is and what can happen with you.”
In her opinion Horbas believed that with a general announcement or assembly students would not have taken the situation seriously. She also thought it may have prompted a copy-cat effect.
“The last thing I want is to see is a Kewaskum student trying to play a joke and get sent to prison for three years. I hope that a sincere one-on-one adult conversation would make sure that doesn’t happen in
the future,” Horbas finished.
The district has a policy regarding bomb threats that ultimately has the building principal making decisions for the school. Horbas and her administrative team followed the plan in place. A copy of that plan can be found by clicking here. We also invite you to comment on the policy and the approach taken with this threat on our community bulletin board also on our website.
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