MONROE - Students and teachers at Monroe High School were evacuated Monday after a threatening message was discovered in a school bathroom - for the second time in four days.
"Not a bomb threat, but it was a threat," Superintendent Larry Brown said.
To help secure the school following the threats, Monroe Police will assign an officer at the high school for the rest of the week, Brown said. In addition, students will have to sign out of classes to use the bathroom and teachers will monitor the bathroom walls, he said.
"The school is back to normal in a general sense. There is a heightened sense of awareness, but they feel the school is safe," Brown said.
A student found the message on a bathroom wall and reported it to the office at about 9:45 a.m. Monday, according to Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt. Students were evacuated to Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy.
School officials confirmed the report; contacted Brown, the Monroe Police Department and the head custodian; and began to lock down the school, Burandt said.
"I then made the announcement, and we evacuated the school at about 9:55 a.m." he said.
Monroe Police responded at about 10 a.m., and began an immediate, extensive search of the building.
On Thursday, a threatening note on a bathroom wall led to the evacuation of Monroe High School. Monroe Police searched the building, but found no suspicious material.
Monday's message was found in a different bathroom, less than two hours before students were scheduled for early dismissal at 11:30 a.m.
Video footage of the hallway outside the bathroom Monday will be reviewed to see who had been in the area, Brown said.
"We have a narrower time frame," he said about determining who is leaving the messages.
Brown said the bathrooms were cleaned Friday between 3 p.m. and midnight. There were no events in the school over the weekend.
"If anyone thinks this is funny...," Brown said. "We're making up this time."
Brown was not in favor of punishing the whole school for the acts of one or two people, he said.
School resumed with regular classes today.
On Monday, students were allowed to return to the high school building to pick up books and personal items.
Also, during the evacuation, at about 10:45 a.m. Monday, the Monroe Fire Department was dispatched to Abe Lincoln school because a fire alarm had been set off, but students were allowed to return to the school shortly after.
School threats are a felony, which carry more than a year sentence and "substantial fines," but exact sentencing depends upon past records and age, Police Chief Fred Kelley said.
"Green County is not going to see the humor in this," Kelley said. "In this day and age, it's just not funny; it's not cute."
Kelley asked that citizens, parents and students report any information they hear about the threats to the Monroe Police Department (329-2400) or to the Monroe School District office (328-7109).
"Not a bomb threat, but it was a threat," Superintendent Larry Brown said.
To help secure the school following the threats, Monroe Police will assign an officer at the high school for the rest of the week, Brown said. In addition, students will have to sign out of classes to use the bathroom and teachers will monitor the bathroom walls, he said.
"The school is back to normal in a general sense. There is a heightened sense of awareness, but they feel the school is safe," Brown said.
A student found the message on a bathroom wall and reported it to the office at about 9:45 a.m. Monday, according to Monroe High School Principal Mark Burandt. Students were evacuated to Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy.
School officials confirmed the report; contacted Brown, the Monroe Police Department and the head custodian; and began to lock down the school, Burandt said.
"I then made the announcement, and we evacuated the school at about 9:55 a.m." he said.
Monroe Police responded at about 10 a.m., and began an immediate, extensive search of the building.
On Thursday, a threatening note on a bathroom wall led to the evacuation of Monroe High School. Monroe Police searched the building, but found no suspicious material.
Monday's message was found in a different bathroom, less than two hours before students were scheduled for early dismissal at 11:30 a.m.
Video footage of the hallway outside the bathroom Monday will be reviewed to see who had been in the area, Brown said.
"We have a narrower time frame," he said about determining who is leaving the messages.
Brown said the bathrooms were cleaned Friday between 3 p.m. and midnight. There were no events in the school over the weekend.
"If anyone thinks this is funny...," Brown said. "We're making up this time."
Brown was not in favor of punishing the whole school for the acts of one or two people, he said.
School resumed with regular classes today.
On Monday, students were allowed to return to the high school building to pick up books and personal items.
Also, during the evacuation, at about 10:45 a.m. Monday, the Monroe Fire Department was dispatched to Abe Lincoln school because a fire alarm had been set off, but students were allowed to return to the school shortly after.
School threats are a felony, which carry more than a year sentence and "substantial fines," but exact sentencing depends upon past records and age, Police Chief Fred Kelley said.
"Green County is not going to see the humor in this," Kelley said. "In this day and age, it's just not funny; it's not cute."
Kelley asked that citizens, parents and students report any information they hear about the threats to the Monroe Police Department (329-2400) or to the Monroe School District office (328-7109).