Some District 87 and Unit 5 schools and other community organizations were disrupted Wednesday by a swatting incident. That's a practice in which someone falsely and maliciously communicates a threat to law enforcement agencies, causing a rapid response of SWAT or tactical units.
District 87 received a threat for Bloomington High School. The Bloomington Area Career Center is located adjacent to BHS.
"Even [though] there is not a credible threat, we have an increased police presence on-site at BHS," District 87 said in an email to parents. "Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families. As soon as we received the call, we immediately followed the District 87 protocols, which are designed to ensure a swift and organized response to such situations.
"We worked in close collaboration with the Bloomington police to assess the threat appropriately. Following a thorough investigation, the Bloomington police determined that the threat was non-credible."
The Bloomington Area Career Center’s afternoon session was canceled.
Unit 5 placed some schools on "secure" status. That means school doors were locked and students remained inside. Not all Unit 5 schools ramped up security.
"Students were able to move throughout the building on their regular schedule. Police were sent to these schools out of an abundance of caution. Some groups of students who were off site or heading off site were delayed for a short time," Unit 5 wrote to parents.
Unit 5 said it will remain transparent about such issues. District 87 said it is informing families with factual information rather than rumors.
"While we do not wish to provide this senseless act any further attention, we do want to make sure that our parents/guardians are informed. We will continue to make the safety and security of our schools a top priority. We appreciate the collaboration in our community between our schools, parents, and students. It is always our goal to be transparent in our communication and diligent as we address issues of school safety and security," District 87 told families.
A report was made about the same time at the ISU Alumni Center in Normal. A university spokesperson said someone there thought they saw something and reported it to police. Officers found nothing and said the report was unrelated to the Unit 5 and District 87 situations.
