chip

A message from Dr. Chip Kay, Superintendent of Columbus Public Schools.

I want to make you aware of a situation that happened off school grounds that we were made aware of at the start of school this morning. A student allegedly made a threat towards the middle school during an altercation with another student. With the help of our SRO (School Resource Officer) and the Columbus Police Department, Columbus Middle School has talked with all students involved. The comment was determined non-credible by law enforcement and school personnel. 

Even idle threats by students are unacceptable. We strongly urge every parent to reiterate with his or her child that these sorts of comments are not funny, or a game. Columbus Public Schools takes every threatening statement seriously and will react to them immediately.

The students involved will now be facing consequences outlined in the student handbook. The safety of our students and staff continues to be a top priority at Columbus Public Schools. We are limited in what information can be provided about this specific incident, but any parent who has questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

It is a team effort to ensure our students and staff are safe at school - when parents hear or see something and report it this helps us and law enforcement immediately address any possible issues.  Thank you for your diligence and we greatly appreciate the work of our local law enforcement and SRO.

A resource you can contact outside of school time is Safe2Help Nebraska it can be used to provide information for:

  • School threats 

  • Bullying 

  • Suicide concern 

  • Crime  

  • Domestic violence 

  • Abuse 

  • A friend’s physical or mental health 

You may download the app for your mobile device or call 833-980-7233 to make a report.