Seneca Valley

All Seneca Valley schools were placed on “secure” status Monday morning, Sept. 15, after police notified district officials of suspicious activity involving an individual in Cranberry Township.

District leaders said there is no direct or immediate threat to students or staff, but outdoor activities, including recess, were moved indoors and public access to school buildings was limited. Appointments continued as scheduled with regular security screenings in place.

A spokesman for the Cranberry Township Police Department said a man spotted near a Seneca Valley school earlier in the morning prompted the district to heighten security.

“At about 9:40 a.m., we had a report of a suspicious individual on Thomson Park Drive,” Lieutenant Chuck Mascellino said. “The only reason the schools are involved is (because) at approximately 8:30, the male had been seen in the vicinity of one of the schools.

“Just out of an abundance of caution, they decided to move the school into secure status — not a lockdown.”

He also said police are working on gathering more details.

“Right now, we’re just trying to identify the person and see what he may have been up to at the time,” Mascellino said.

As a result of the situation, families and community members may have noticed an increased police presence in and around district schools, as well as elsewhere in Cranberry Township.

Seneca Valley said it will “share any updates if this situation or our building status changes,” according to a security alert on the district’s website, www.svsd.net.

The district announced that after-school activities will continue as scheduled Monday. There will be an increased police presence, according to a school security update.