A few minutes ago, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice sent this message to Westport Public Schools parents and guardians:
As we conclude the day, I want to provide a brief follow-up to my earlier message regarding this morning’s reported threat to Coleytown Elementary School.
As shared earlier, at approximately 7:45 a.m., the Fairfield County Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 text message reporting a bomb threat to CES. Shortly thereafter, the Westport Police Department contacted district administration, and our established safety protocols were immediately implemented, no small task during the height of morning transportation.
By 8:15 a.m., families were notified of a 2-hour delayed start while the WPD, joined by the Stamford Police Bomb Squad and explosive detection K9 unit, conducted a comprehensive search of the building.
During this time, staff and students already on site were safely relocated to Coleytown Middle School, and CES buses en route were redirected to the same location.
Coleytown Elementary School. Rear: Coleytown Middle School.
At that point in time, CMS students were already en route to CMS or on campus. As a result, CMS was placed in a brief shelter-in-place as a precaution.
By 9:10 a.m., the WPD and their Stamford partners cleared the building, confirming that no explosive devices were found. CES was deemed safe, CES students returned later that morning between 10:45 and 11 a.m., and the CMS shelter-in-place was lifted.
Today’s tightly coordinated response resulted in a resolution of the incident in less than 90 minutes, while engaging 3 regional police departments (Stamford, Norwalk, and Fairfield, along with the Stamford Police Bomb Squad).
We were also supported on-site by Deputy Chiefs Ryan Paulsson and Dave Wolf of the Westport Police Department. Their professionalism and collaboration were exemplary and deeply appreciated.
Following the all-clear, both Coleytown Elementary and Coleytown Middle Schools convened their crisis response teams to review the morning’s events. Later, each school gathered their full faculties to debrief and reflect on the effectiveness of our response and the well-being of students and staff.
At CMS, Principal Janna Sirowich provided clear and compassionate communication throughout the morning.
At 8:25 a.m., she addressed all students and staff in the cafeteria and auditorium, explaining that while a threat had been made to CES, police determined it was not credible and that these actions were being taken as a precaution. She reassured everyone that the shelter-in-place was precautionary, encouraged calm, and asked students to refrain from using cell phones and Chromebooks.
She made a follow-up intercom announcement later thanking students and staff for their cooperation and composure, and confirming that the shelter-in-place had been lifted and normal routines could resume. She also reminded students that support was available for anyone feeling uneasy.
As I shared this morning, while any such threat is deeply unsettling, today’s events once again demonstrated the strength of our safety protocols, the professionalism of our law enforcement partners, and the calm leadership of our building administrators, the professionalism of our staff and the maturity of our students.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to our district and school leaders, the Westport Police Department, and our regional law enforcement partners for their coordinated and effective response. Most of all, I want to thank our students and families for their patience, trust, and support throughout the day.
this is frightening!
Westport is fortunate to have a town of experienced, passionate, and hardworking dedicated employees who are quick to act and provide mutual aid. They also train with our law enforcement officers.
The formula applied and executed by all departments with the BOE under extreme pressure and time sensitivity worked seamlessly and effectively.