Office of the Superintendent of Schools

Dear Middle and High School Parents:

I am writing you to inform you of the incidents that the school administration has responded to over the last week and to clear up any confusion or uncertainty as to any of these matters. As you may be aware, there was a recent school shooting in Michigan, and a potential shooting that was prevented in South Carolina by early reporting of social media posts and other indicators of potential school violence. The Bound Brook School District has always taken school safety and security issues very seriously. With this in mind, I would like to inform you of several incidents over the past week at both the Middle and High Schools.

On Friday of last week, there was an incident at Community Middle School in which graffiti was discovered in a bathroom referencing a potential school shooting. The Middle School administration contacted local police along with the school district administration to investigate the matter. It was determined that there was no threat and the investigation of the graffiti is ongoing.

In addition, last Friday, a student at Bound Brook High School reported overhearing another student make reference to shooting up the school. The police were contacted and conducted an investigation, along with district administration. As a result of the investigation, a student admitted to making the statement and was disciplined. School personnel and local authorities followed up with their protocols in addressing issues of this nature.

Yesterday, at the Middle School, it was reported that a student had depicted a disturbing image in a drawing. The School Administration contacted the police and an investigation was conducted. It was determined that there was no threat and the student involved was referred for support services.

Finally, yesterday at Bound Brook High School, it was reported to the High School administration that a student had picked up a suspicious package during a student protest, which took place outside of the school. The police were contacted and responded to investigate the matter. Ultimately, it was determined that the suspicious package was simply a student’s backpack.

The school district administration is actively working with law enforcement authorities and the district’s mental health professionals to deal with these issues. With the heightened level of anxiety over incidents happening in schools around the country, we have, and will continue to take all of these situations seriously. As a district, we will continue to take all necessary steps to keep our schools a secure and safe place for all students and staff members.

Thank you for your support, assistance and patience during this time. It is greatly appreciated by all of our staff and administration.

Truly,

Daniel Gallagher, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools