September 19, 2024

Dear Staff, Parents, and Guardians,

After the BOCES buses departed campus this morning, we received a report that a student on one of the BOCES buses may be in possession of a gun. Law enforcement and our two BOCES locations (Ulster and Sullivan) were immediately notified. Due to the serious nature of the allegation and out of an abundance of caution, the buses returned to campus. Upon the arrival of the BOCES buses, a lockout was initiated for the Junior/Senior High and all students on the bus were searched by school administrators one at a time. Searches were conducted in accordance with the District’s student search policy and included looking through backpacks and having students empty their pockets. The outcome of the searches did not yield a gun or any other dangerous weapon.

Upon completion of the searches, the lockout was lifted and all BOCES students from the buses were brought into the auditorium to be debriefed by the administration and law enforcement regarding the reason for the searches and thanked for their cooperation.

Since the start of the month, schools across New York State have seen a rise in reports of school shooting threats, primarily on social media. The rapid increase of threats being received across schools complicates the identification of credible dangers. That being said, the District and local law enforcement will remain vigilant in investigating all threats as the safety of our students and staff is our primary concern.

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Wiles
Superintendent of Schools

Ellenville Central School District