Safety measures in place after threats force school closures in Evangeline Parish

Evangeline Parish schoold re-opened on Wednesday following threats made against local schools earlier in the week.
The first threat, which forced a lock-down and investigation to ensue at Ville Platte High, was made around 12:00 a.m. Monday morning on Instagram, according to local police.
In a release from Ville Platte Chief of Police Neal Lartigue, it states, “The VPPD launced an investigation in regards to threats on social medial this morning (Monday, February 19, 2018) where peole reported seeing social media posts that children would be shot if they attended school at Ville Platte High.”
The release went on to state, “Quick responses and efforts of multiple agencies resulted in the arrest of a 15-year-old black male.”
Although an arrest was made on Monday, other threats had been made forcing all schools to be closed on Tuesday. Some of the threats were aimed at Pine Prairie High School.
Monday night, Superintendent of Schools Darwan Lazard said that a total of “six threats were received or reported,” and that “only one of those cases has been solved.”
Along with the public schools, Sacred Heart School also closed on Tuesday due to the online threats.
Schools were re-opened on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, after all campuses were thoroughly checked by first responders and school officals and confirmed to be safe and secure for students and staff members.
When Ville Platte High students arrived on campus on Wednesday, law enforcement officers were present while VPHS faculty searched students to ensure that the campus was safe.
Pine Prairie High has also begun working on procedures to enhance the safety of children on its campus.
In a letter to parents from the school, it states that on Monday “the administrative staff of Pine Prairie High School met with representatives from the Evangeline Parish 911 Office, Pine Prairie Police Department, Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Acadian Ambulance to discuss our current procedures and protocols in the event of an active shooter.”
The letter went on to state that the school “looked at current procedures/protocols and looked for avenues to improve.”
The school is set to host an active shooter drill on PPHS’s campus on Thursday, February 22, 2018. In the letter to parents, it also states that they plan to also “have an unannounced drill in the near future so we can continue to refine our procedures in the event of an emergency on campus.”
Students were also greeted by the superindent and assistant superindentent, Mike Lombas, when they arrived at school. The two school leaders spent Wednesday visiting the local schools to welcome students back, and to guarantee their safety.