Police: GVHS Threat 'Does Not Warrant Concern'

Officers and dogs from the Chester County Sheriff's Office swept Great Valley High School over the weekend in response to a bomb threat at the school Friday.

"Nothing was found, and the East Whiteland Police Department has labeled the recent incident as one that does not warrant concern," Great Valley School District superintendent Alan Lonoconus wrote in a letter to parents Sunday. 

Lonoconus underscored that the threat was taken seriously and said the school would reopen Monday based on the recommendation of police.

Neither the police department nor the school district was willing to disclose more details about the threat than were shared in two letters sent to parents Friday and Sunday.

The first letter said that the district became aware of a bomb threat against the school late Friday morning, but did not specify what the threat was or how it was received. According to parents, the school was not evacuated.

"[We] immediately began the implementation of our Safety Plan. The issue was turned over to law enforcement officers who are working collaboratively with us around this situation," Lonoconus wrote Friday.

The full text of Sunday's letter is below:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This message is a follow up to the one sent to you on Friday about a bomb threat at Great Valley High School. I reiterate that we take every threat seriously and, to that end, work with local law enforcement to make safety assessments and ensure the safety of our schools.

Earlier this weekend, the Sheriff’s Department conducted a sweep of Great Valley High School. By using specially trained dogs and officers, the high school was evaluated for the presence of any kind of bomb device. Nothing was found and the East Whiteland Police Department has labeled the recent incident as one that does not warrant concern. The police have recommended that we open schools on Monday without any disruption to the schedule and we will do that knowing that we took the precautions we could to secure a safe environment for our students.

The safety of our students and staff remains our number one concern. Because of that, we have a comprehensive Safety Plan in place to which we refer when incidents like this arise. I remind you that we take every threat seriously and will also continue to investigate this matter. If you or your child has any information related to this matter – or any other potentially troublesome situation at one of our schools– I remind you to contact your building principal.

Thank you for your partnership in creating safe school environments.

Sincerely,

Alan J. Lonoconus
Superintendent of Schools