After threat, Cedar Rapids schools see 60% student attendance

CEDAR RAPIDS — Proactive safety measures put in place Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids Community School District following a threat made on social media will remain in place through Friday.

Captain Charlie Fields, commander of the Community Services Division of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, however, said school would not have resumed if the police department did not think it was safe.

“We are confident in the fact that school is safe for the kids to be in,” Fields said. “We have worked for several years with the Cedar Rapids Community School District to put school safety plans in place for incidents such as what we are experiencing right now.”

There was about 60 percent student attendance at schools Tuesday, and the majority of staff were present and “prepared to support our students,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said during a news conference Tuesday.

As a part of the proactive safety measures, students are not allowed to bring backpacks, bags or purses unless they are clear, see-through bags. Lunchboxes are allowed but will be examined by staff. High school students are not allowed to be released for lunch.

“We’re asking our parents to monitor their students’ social media accounts for any suspicious or concerning material, and remind them about the importance of reporting anything that threatens their well-being,“ Grover said.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department dispatch center received a call Saturday, at 8 p.m. reporting a threat to the Cedar Rapids school district, Fields said. The initial threat mentioned Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy. However, other schools — and school districts — have since been named, he said.

Investigators are working to track down information through a social media app called Snapchat and other social media platforms, Fields said. The police department is working with agents from the Iowa Department of Public Safety Governor’s School Safety Bureau.

“If we are able to identify the individuals or individual that have created these posts or made these threats, they will be held accountable for their actions,” Fields said.

Grover said it is “crucial” the integrity of the investigation is protected, which oftentimes means not a lot of information can be shared publicly about the threat.

Fields said it takes time to comb through social media accounts to find the original source of the threat, and they are investigating many leads. Resources spent investigating social media threats “takes away from other events happening in the city and stress the public safety system as a whole,” he said.

Fields encouraged parents to have conversations with their children about what they post on social media and who they are friends with.

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“Across the nation, this is becoming a phenomenon through social media platforms,” Fields said. “A lot of times these things are copycat and repeated and sent through other school districts, causing more alarm in our communities.”

Cedar Rapids schools resumed classes Tuesday after canceling school Monday because of a threat made on social media. School, day care and athletic activities were canceled Monday for staff and students in the district and an “all campus closure” declared for the safety of all students and staff.

The situation has given the district the opportunity to reevaluate everyday safety procedures, Grover said.

Cedar Rapids schools safe and secure learning coordinator Janessa Carr — who began in the new role this year — has been “extremely instrumental” this week, Grover said. Carr previously worked as a student assistance counselor at Linn-Mar High School.

The district also is convening a task force of members of the community to analyze and review the district’s disciplinary and restorative practices.

“This is not a joke,” Grover said. “It’s imperative we recognize that whether they intended it to be a joke or not, when we are able to identify the person there will be consequences. We urge our families not to repost information or reshare. If they have concerns, they should report that directly to the police department or their school administrator.”

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