Important Update

Dear Families and Staff,

This morning at approximately 9:00 a.m., one of our building principals was notified of a concerning social media post made by a student regarding a possible threat to our buildings. Among the four students mentioned in the post, one specifically listed three of our elementary school buildings, which heightened our level of concern. 

As a precautionary measure, we immediately notified all building principals to initiate a soft lockdown across all schools and instructed staff to keep students inside. 

After further investigation, we confirmed that the post originated from a student at Atlantic Iowa Middle School, who is now under arrest. A student from Ottumwa Christian School then shared this video with four of our students. Again, we want to strongly emphasize that there is no threat to our schools, and this action was taken purely out of precaution. 

We have now lifted the soft lockdown, and all buildings and activities, including recess, are continuing under normal operation. We want to say a special thank you to our local law enforcement for their prompt response and partnership in keeping our schools safe. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us at safety@ottumwaschools.com.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

District Safety