Parents press Plymouth‑Canton board over threats, express frustration with school response

Parents from Miller Elementary told the Plymouth‑Canton Community Schools Board of Education they remain fearful after a March threat by a fifth‑grade student and said district and school responses left families without sufficient reassurance.

Several speakers described the same incident during the citizen comment portion of the board meeting. Sheila Dudley, acting as a concerned grandparent, said a fifth‑grader told other students he would “bring a gun to school and shoot everybody” around March 13 and urged the board to adopt “zero tolerance” for threats regardless of student age. Dudley said federal data and Secret Service research indicate attackers commonly show warning signs and argued schools should act swiftly on threats.

Multiple parents spoke about delays in communication and the student’s continued presence on buses and at the school after the incident. Yolontia (spelling in transcript) Washington said she first learned of the episode days after it occurred and that the student still rides the bus to school; she said the response she received from staff was “not satisfying.” Angelica Johnson said the child told classmates he was mentally ill and would kill someone if he did not take medication, and she said she had filed police reports and had been told the incident was not mere rumor.

A parent who identified herself as the mother of an affected child requested greater consistency in safety drills and said she had reviewed school drill records and found times inconsistent with district expectations. Parents asked district leadership to consider measures such as backpack checks, additional supervision at bus stops and clearer communication with families.

Superintendent Monica Merritt acknowledged the concerns during the meeting and staff said they had conducted follow‑up and offered specific measures — including backpack checks before the student could enter school — though parents told the board they still felt unsafe and that the child had returned to school. Some speakers said they had filed police reports with local law enforcement.

Board members thanked speakers and the board will continue to address the issue through its administrative channels; no board vote or change to district policy occurred at the meeting. District officials said they would review drill records and safety protocols and work with school administrators, but at the meeting they did not announce further immediate changes.