School officials vow tough reprisals for future bomb threats

VERNON-After 11 bomb threats, Vernon Township School officials are promising stern action, including extending the school year and cancelling traditional year-end trips and activities, as reprisal for any future threats. Letters sent home to parents of Glen Meadow and Lounsberry Hollow Middle Schools informing them of steps that will be taken should another bomb threat be received have generally been well received, according to Vernon Township school officials. "We have had several parents praising the administration and the board for taking action that should bring an end to the threats," said Anthony Macerino, Superintendent of Schools for Vernon Township. The letter said that effective immediately any future bomb threats will result in school being in session for full days in lieu of days which were originally planned as early dismissal days from June 14-20. Other measures being considered should the threats continue are cancellation of the eight grade class trip, year-end dance and commencement ceremony, all year-end field days and pizza parties and the year book signing event. "We have been discussing the matter during the last several weeks; from discussions among board members and central office administrators and we arrived at the contents of the letter which was sent out to parents," said Macerino. "We feel that this is the best strategy to follow given the fact that nothing before the letter appeared to be working," he added. The letter in question was gone over with the students in school after which they were asked to sign a copy of it. A copy of the same letter was sent home to parents and students were asked to again sign this copy beside the signature of a parent. If there was an unfavorable response to the letter it was not to the content but rather to the students being asked to sign a copy in school without the parent's knowledge. "Very few parents felt that they should have been consulted before their child was asked to sign the letter," said Macerino. While the argument over whether the threatened actions are fair or not could be debated endlessly, many see it as a means to an end. "Though it may not be fair to punish all of the students there isn't too much that the school can do if they don't know who is guilty," said Debbie Rosanna who has a son in seventh grade at Glen Meadow Middle School. "Hopefully the threat of loosing privileges will encourage someone to come forward with information as to who is responsible," she added. Because there is almost certainly no middle school student in the world who would want to spend an extra day in school, the measures threatened in this letter may actually work. "I think that it was a smart move to send the letter home because the eighth graders have a lot to lose and they won't want any more bomb threats," said Kevin Start, a seventh grade student at Glen Meadow Middle School. "Then on the other hand there are kids who just don't care, but they are the ones who don't want to be in school anyway so why would they extend their year by causing a bomb threat," he added.