MONROE, MI (Toledo News Now) – Rumors regarding school safety caused Monroe School leaders to start their winter break a little early.
Parents were informed Thursday afternoon that there would be no school Friday. The district said the cancellation was due to rumors on social media sites regarding school safety, which they felt would disrupt students from learning.
"We just felt that people needed a break from this and that if we did have school tomorrow that our attendance probably would be low," said Dr. Barry Martin, director of state and federal programs.
Despite the cancellation, Martin said there are no legitimate threats to safety in the schools.
"We've spent a lot of time investigating these rumors, and at this point they've all been unsubstantiated," he said.
Law enforcement officials were present in all Monroe School building Thursday. Martin said it was just to show a presence, but one parent said her daughter and classmates were caught off guard.
"[My daughter] said that she could see the pistols, so then word spread really, really fast and they thought there was something wrong here at school," said Jenny Russeau.
After the winter break, the district is going to go forward with discussions on how to improve school safety. Martin said this may include requiring ID to enter the buildings and staffing the entrances.
