Message from Superintendent
Big Red Community:
I wanted to follow up with you about the parent message sent earlier today. This morning district administrators, along with Belton and Temple Police Departments, responded to a nonspecific threatening statement circulating on social media. Through a partnership between the school district and law enforcement, a suspect was quickly identified and taken into custody. Questioning of the suspect determined there was no valid or imminent danger to our schools.
Receiving a threat, even nonspecific, is scary. Today’s situation was addressed quickly thanks to an outstanding response by our police departments. Upon learning of the threat, our local law enforcement dispatched additional officers to our campuses and immediately began the investigation. We are also extremely thankful to the students, families and administrators who reported the threat through our Anonymous Alerts tool or by calling our offices.
Belton ISD will continue to work with local officials in the coming days and weeks to aid in their investigation. Student safety is our number one priority, and we support the pursuit of charges if appropriate. Please take this opportunity to remind your student(s) of the importance of reporting these items to school officials or through our Anonymous Alerts system. It may also be an opportune time to discuss with your student(s) the serious implications of making threats — even if joking — and the potential consequences.
We appreciate the continued trust and support found in the Big Red Community. We are grateful for your partnership in keeping our students safe so our Belton ISD educators can keep Inspiring Dreams and Empowering Futures.
Sincerely,
Matt Smith, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Belton ISD