Chanute Public Schools Superintendent Matt Koester recently released a letter to Chanute High School students and caregivers following an incident reported by students a few weeks ago. Due to privacy concerns, more information about the incident is not available. Following this, some parents expressed concerns that they had not heard of the incident occurring.
The following letter was written by Koester, and addresses the lack of communication.
“Dear CHS Families, Nothing matters more than a safe, welcoming, and caring place for every person who enters our schools each day. When we learn about a violent threat or other possible danger, the school district administration follows formal response procedures and works closely with law enforcement.
“You may have heard about a student incident two weeks ago in the CHS parking lot involving a weapon. Our staff responded immediately, closely following our procedures and notifying law enforcement to keep our schools safe. We also worked privately with the families involved and have taken all appropriate disciplinary measures.
“I sincerely regret that I failed to communicate our response to the incident to CHS families and staff promptly. The gap in information has left many people feeling worried, uncertain, or stressed. I apologize for not communicating with families, and I fully intend to do better in the future.
“Our district is committed to protecting the privacy of individual students and their families, so I am unable to share or discuss details or any disciplinary measures that may have been involved. Confidentiality laws also prevent us from sharing this information.
“Keeping kids safe at school and in Chanute requires all of us working together. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with law enforcement. We also appreciate your help in reporting anything unusual and encouraging your student(s) to do the same. Making a report is always the right thing, even if you feel it might be a hoax or a joke.
“Thank you for trusting us with your children. If you ever have questions or concerns about your child’s experience at school, please contact their teacher/counselor/principal without delay so that we can work together to support them.”
The next Chanute Public Schools Board of Education meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. at the board office, located at 321 E. Main St., Chanute. Agendas and documents can be viewed at https://meetings.boardbook. org/Public/Organization/2345.
