Education
Multiple students across 12 Austin metro school districts have been arrested and charged with felonies for making non- credible school threats since the start of the 2024-25 school year. The threats have impacted attendance rates and student mental health at many campuses. In response, districts are upping security measures, creating student threat awareness campaigns and more. Districts grapple with noncredible threat surge Sept. 16 and 18: threat received at Hudson Bend Middle School Sept. 24: threat received at Lake Travis High School Sept. 27: threat received at Bee Cave Middle School Oct. 1: BCMS student is arrested and charged with terroristic threat Oct. 2: 16-year-old male in Harris county is arrested and charged with terroristic threat toward LTHS Sept. 9: Westlake High School student arrested for making terroristic threat 2024 Local timeline Sept. 8: threat received at Westlake High School
The cost
The impact
On Sept. 24, San Marcos CISD received a non-credible school threat through an anonymous phone call that triggered over 80 police, fire and emergency service personnel to respond. The influx of threats is likely a result of “copy- cat behaviors” following the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia, said Andrew Fernandez, SMCISD chief of communications. In neighboring district Hays CISD, six students have been arrested and charged with various felony offenses for creating threats against campuses so far this year. HCISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy said these threats typically result in a 5-10% drop in attendance for the day. Texas school districts are funded based on average daily attendance. Each total percentage drop in ADA for the school year equates to about $1.5 million in funding loss, Savoy said, which “would make a mark” on the budget if the threats are sustained. Lake Travis ISD responded to nine non-cred- ible threats across five campuses over 15 school days. Some of the affected campuses saw a significant drop in attendance, Superintendent Paul Norton said. “We have kids that don’t come to school for several days because of a threat that was called in,” Norton said. Eanes ISD received tips about a threat Sept. 8 through the district’s anonymous tip line, resulting in the arrest of a Westlake High School student Sept. 9, according to district officials. This is the first time an anonymous tip has led to an arrest in the district, EISD Chief of Police Matt Greer said in a statement.
Investigating threats puts a weight on a police department’s resources, Austin ISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said. There were over 300 threat investigations in AISD last school year. “One particular case I can remember started at midnight and it did not end until 7 a.m. by the time they tracked down all the leads and figured it out,” Sneed said. In addition to increased emergency response costs, districts are also grappling with how these threats affect the mental health of students, staff and the community. Fernandez said counselor visits have increased in SMCISD, but the impact these threats have extend beyond students. “The thought of sending a child to school and an act of targeted violence occurring is a lot for parents to process,” Fernandez said. Tatum Ott, a senior at Lake Travis High School, said she hopes making school a more welcoming place will reduce the number of student-made threats. Through a program with the Texas School Safety Center, she is working to improve disciplinary outcomes by addressing students’ mental health needs.
Mental health tips after a threat
Utilize school counseling support
Express thoughts and feelings to a trusted adult
Immediately report concerning behavior you see or hear
SOURCE: EANES ISD, LAKE TRAVIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: AMANDA TOOHEY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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