by Frank Schroth

Milton High was ordered to “Stay in Place” this afternoon after a student brought a suspicious object to the attention of school authorities. The object appeared to be a shell casing. The student found the object on the floor of a classroom and went to the front office at about 11:20PM.This prompted a call to the Milton Police and an investigation was initiated.

After analyzing the object it was believed to be “remnants from a tool (nail gun)” that had been used in the school after hours. However, this could not be confirmed and it was decided to take the precaution of putting a “Stay in Place” order while the police made a sweep of the building. This involved bringing in dogs trained to detect ammunition. After a full search of the school no other items of concern were found..

Principal Jette thanked the staff and police for their prompt response. Following is the text of Mr. Jette’s communication with parents.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

At approximately 1:00 p.m. Milton High School went into a “STAY IN PLACE” status. This means ALL teachers and students remained in their classrooms and could not leave for any reason. As previously communicated, the STAY IN PLACE status was to allow the Milton Police to conduct an investigation as there was an object of concern found within the building.

This morning at approximately 11:20 a.m. a student came to Vice Principal Michelle Kreuzer’s office to report that he had found an object that appeared to be a bullet casing (shell) on the floor of his classroom. This report prompted an immediate call to Milton Police and an investigation was initiated.

The object in question was analyzed by the Milton Police and School Administration. Initially it was believe that this object was the remnants of a tool (nail gun) being used by a company that is working in the building during the evening hours. After consultation with the construction company, they could not confirm that this tool was actually used in the building. As a result, Milton Police determined to take the precautionary measure to initiate a “Stay In Place” status. This process allowed the police to conduct a “Precautionary Sweep” of the entire building to ensure the safety of all students and staff. A “Preventive Sweep” is where the police have specially trained dogs that can detect/smell ammunition. A total of 5-6 dogs were here and again, they went through EVERY room in the building and determined it to be safe. No ammunition or other items of concern were found. At no time were your children in any danger.

Again, I would like to thank the Milton Police and the Milton High faculty and staff for their prompt and professional response to this situation. I would also like to thank students and all parents/guardians for their cooperation.

Again, thank you for your patience and understanding,

James F Jette
Principal
Milton High School