Updated 2:30 PM, 3/6/23:
Superintendent Casey Bertram said in a press release that multiple school districts across the state also received the same email threat. Law enforcement confirmed that the threat was not believed
to be credible.
Bertram said there were specific circumstances that led to their decision to close the school this morning. Following the threat, Bozeman Police Department did a perimeter check of the schools and found an open door. Law enforcement systematically checked and cleared all schools because of the open door.
Bertram says the decision to close schools was made to prioritize student and staff safety.
The school day will not have to be made up.
The schools will reopen this afternoon as after-school activities begin at 3:30 PM. However, the kidsLINK program will not run today.
The Board of Trustees meeting will be held as scheduled.
School will resume as usual tomorrow, Tuesday, March 7.
We are thankful for our partnership with the BPD. The incident required coordinated action and communication throughout the night and early morning hours from both BPD and BSD7 officials. As mentioned this morning, if you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify your school’s principal and local law enforcement immediately. For emergencies please call 911. To contact Bozeman PD SRO Sergeant Scott McCormick, call 406-582-2000.
(First report)
Superintendent of Bozeman Public Schools Casey Bertram said in an email to families in the school district that school is canceled for BSD7 on Monday, March 6, 2023 due to a suspicious email threat.
Bertram said a specific school was not specified, and the district worked with law enforcement throughout the night. At this time, the threat is not believed to be credible, but school is canceled out of an abundance of caution.
Following is the text of the letter sent to BSD7 families Monday morning:
Shortly after 11 pm last night, the district received a suspicious email with a school threat. A specific school was not identified. At this time, the origin of the email is unknown. The District worked with law enforcement throughout the night. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously. It is for this reason that out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel school on Monday, March 6. All buildings will be closed during regular school hours on Monday to students, staff, and the public, so all school business is postponed, including scheduled meetings for the day. This will allow law enforcement to do its job in a thorough manner.
It is anticipated that BSD7 buildings will reopen for after school activities, including the AA band festival, at 3:30 pm today. Staff may enter buildings as needed after 3:30 pm. The reopening will be confirmed via an email message later today from my office.
We intend to reopen all buildings for regular student attendance on Tuesday, March 7. Our School Resource Officers (SRO’s) will be present and visible in our schools on Tuesday. We will also have increased Bozeman Police Department patrols near our school sites tomorrow as an added precaution.
Please underscore with your child/ren that if they hear or see something, they need to say something. If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify your school’s principal and local law enforcement immediately. For emergencies please call 911. To contact Bozeman PD SRO Sergeant Scott McCormick, call 406-582-2000. We all play a role in keeping our schools and community safe. Thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.
We will update you as we get more information.
