LARWILL — Officials with the Whitko Community School Corporation as well as local law enforcement responded to a possible threat Wednesday morning, Feb. 28 and investigated what turned out to be a hoax, maintaining that being proactive trumps responding to a real threat after the fact.

“This morning our principal received a rumor about a possible threat to the middle school,” said Whitko Superintendent Steve Clason. “While it was unsubstantiated, we take such threats seriously.”

Police were called at approximately 7:35 a.m. “The state, local and county police all acted according to our safety plan,” said Clason. “They provided extra security and worked through the protocol to check out the situation. It was determined, in fact, it was a rumor and nothing more.”

In light of national events involving threats to school children, Clason said having a plan and minimizing response time is crucial.

“Student safety is paramount, so we put our plans into effect and everyone continues to be safe. School is going on as usual,” Clason said.