Butler Area School District sets communication test for Wednesday
Butler Area School District announced it will conduct an Emergency Communication System test at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The test comes after a Sept. 30 swatting incident that led multiple Butler County school districts to operate under at least partial lockdowns.
According to a news release from Butler Area School District superintendent Brian White, families will receive a phone call, text message and email from the district during the test. The district will also post the test message on its website and social media channels.
According to the district’s communications coordinator, Kara Droney, a test of this kind has never been conducted before.
“Not recently and not (with) full K-12 staff included with a test of all three communications with text, call and email,” Droney said.
She added testing the system is always a good idea to ensure families and staff can be reached, especially during an emergency or when the district needs to share important information.
Parents are encouraged to check Infinite Campus by Tuesday, Oct. 20, to ensure their contact information is up to date. Anyone who does not receive a notification during the test should contact their child’s school.
“We are fortunate to have dedicated employees, strong relationships with local law enforcement and a community that cares deeply about our children. I appreciate your patience, understanding and trust as we continue working to keep our schools safe,” White said.
According to White, representatives from the Butler Area School District, Butler Area school police, Butler Township police and emergency services, Butler County Emergency Services and Pennsylvania State Police met to review the district’s response to the Sept. 30 incident.
“First, I want to thank our staff, students, families and law enforcement partners for their cooperation and patience. This was an unusual situation and while the threat was ultimately determined not to be credible, we took it seriously and responded accordingly,” White said.
White added one of the biggest lessons learned was the need for clearer and more consistent communication during these situations. Moving forward, the district will use two terms when communicating about a lockdown: perimeter lockdown and full lockdown. They no longer plan to use the term modified lockdown.
During a perimeter lockdown, students will continue their normal activities inside the school building. However, students and visitors will not be permitted to enter or leave the building. During a full lockdown, students and staff should shelter in place and follow the school’s established emergency procedures. All normal school activities will be suspended.
“We recognize that in our attempt to get information to our families as quickly as possible, our initial communication could have been clearer. In the future, our first message will explain what type of lockdown is in place,” White added.
White also acknowledged that school pickup presented a significant challenge during the incident. Under the previous modified lockdown procedures, parents could pick up their children if they chose to, which led to significant traffic congestion.
Under the new perimeter lockdown procedures, students will not be permitted to leave the building until the lockdown has been lifted or the school has communicated a specific dismissal or reunification process.
The change is intended to provide clearer communication and help prevent confusion during future incidents.
