PICKERINGTON, Ohio — There’s no other way to say it: Last Thursday, as a parent to a student at Ridgeview Junior High, it was a gut punch.
“Yeah,” Cassidy Nicholson said. “Absolutely. As a parent, it’s hard.”
Nicholson’s triplet daughters attend Ridgeview. She says after lockdown was announced she and her daughters got on a four-way chat through text messages.
Her daughters texted they can’t stay calm because of a threat. Nicholson kept telling them to take deep breaths.
“And then a lot of ‘I love you, if anything happens, just know that’,” Nicholson said of the texts. “I mean, it’s hard as a parent cause I have no idea what’s going on.”
All she could do was reassure them and pray for them. The first communication, she says, came from the Pickerington Police Department. It took three hours for her to be reunited with her daughters. In the aftermath, Nicholson says the district handled the situation well and in a timely manner.
“I am expecting, and I feel like the parents are owed, an explanation or at least the courtesy of a conversation,” she said.
Nicholson says she knows it’s an ongoing investigation and details surrounding the shooting might not be ready to be shared. However, she says there has been no communication from the district in the days following about, at the very least, safety for students.
Superintendent Dr. Chris Briggs says while interviews will not be conducted, the district is continuing to debrief with law enforcement and looks forward to all students returning to campuses, Wednesday. Both Monday and Tuesday were already scheduled days out of school for students, prior to last Thursday’s shooting.
“Understandably, kids have to go to school,” Nicholson said. “But, I really think there has to be a conversation prior to that about where do we go from here if for no other reason but to reassure the parents ‘You know, we hear you’.”
Superintendent Chris Briggs released a statement Tuesday evening:
Dear PLSD Staff,
Thank you for your patience and understanding over the past several days. As partners in your student’s education, we appreciate working together to provide a safe environment for all of our students.
We look forward to welcoming our students back to school tomorrow and moving toward a sense of normalcy. Understandably, students and staff continue to process thoughts and feelings related to what took place Thursday. The first time back to school after a traumatic situation may bring up additional and unexpected reactions. Trusted adults, counseling support and spaces for staff and students to talk and connect as needed will be provided tomorrow and in the coming days.
The safety of students and staff is our top priority. To that end, here is pertinent information we want you to know:
All Pickerington Schools, including Ridgeview, are secure.
Ridgeview staff have reviewed all safety plans and are fully prepared for school to re-open tomorrow.
District office staff will be at Ridgeview to provide additional support to building staff and students.
Additional law enforcement and School Resource Officers will be present at school tomorrow and in the coming days to provide support and reassurance.
We will conduct an after action review this week in conjunction with Pickerington Police to name ways in which we could improve our response in emergency situations.
We will review any emergency protocol related policies and determine if changes are needed.
Our partnership with local law enforcement, first responders, and specifically the Pickerington Police department is critical. Last Thursday, and in the days that have followed, this strong relationship has been evident and is directly beneficial to our safety and security. We are grateful to our School Resource Officers and Pickerington Police for their quick response, support and our continued relationship.
Tomorrow we will welcome students back to school and clearly outline available resources and support for them. We will work to return to normalcy and get back to the business of educating our students. Thank you for your continued support and commitment.