While last week's school shooting was more than 1,000 miles away, in Parkland, Fla., its effects are still being felt in Butler County, where the threat of a similar incident last week has a community on edge.

Local school districts, parents and students are reacting to the shooting, in which 17 people were killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14. Local school district officials and parents are figuring out how to discuss the incident with students without raising anxieties or fears and how to make sure schools are as safe as can be.

“It's like any segment of the population, it's a whole range of reactions,” said Brian White, Butler superintendent. “People are praying for the victims and thinking about what would happen if something like this would happen here.”

Seneca Valley Superintendent Tracy Vitale sent a letter home to parents on Feb. 15, the day after the Florida shooting.

In it she gave parents resources for how to talk to their children about the incident and reiterated the safety measures that exist throughout the district.

Linda Andreassi, Seneca Valley communications director, said they often are asked by parents to share tips on talking with children during tragedies. Similar communications from Vitale took place after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 and the stabbing at Franklin Regional High School in 2014, she said.

“We as adults are processing or may be struggling to process the news ourselves, so it's helpful to have a resource or tips to guide us when talking with children,” Andreassi said.

Cindy Hansen, of Cranberry Township, said she takes extra time saying goodbye now when she drops her three children off at school in the morning.

“I always tell the kids 'I love you' when they get out of the car because you just don't know,” she said.

Hansen hasn't talked about the shooting with her children because she worries it will exacerbate their fears. She has one child at Evans City Middle School, one at the 7-8 Middle School and one at the intermediate high school

“I don't want them to be more freaked out than they already are,” she said. “I know they hear about it. I know they know about it.”