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New Milford superintendent says students involved in 'horrific' outside‑school incident will face discipline as police investigate
Summary
Superintendent David Colaso described a "horrific" incident that occurred outside New Milford High School, said police and the mayor responded on site, and reassured families there is no ongoing threat while counseling and investigations continue.
Superintendent David Colaso told the New Milford Board of Education that an incident outside the high school the previous afternoon was "horrific" and that students involved will face both school discipline and possible legal consequences.
"I always worry about the students that are involved," Colaso said. "They're going to be consequence, not just from the schools... but also the police and the prosecutor's office." He said the district has been in "constant communication" with police and the mayor and praised the coordinated response.
Colaso emphasized there is no ongoing threat to students or school buildings. "There is no threat, and we can see whether the prosecutor's office is telling us there is an imminent threat or an alleged threat or there's not no threat to the high school or any of our schools," he said. He noted that roughly 15 police officers were present on campus after school as a "unified front" and that their presence did not mean students were in danger.
The superintendent said staff and students are "reeling a little bit" and that the district is offering counseling services. He also said several parents pulled their children out of school after the event and that the district has received many calls and emails from community members. "All the support that I've gotten and my administration has gotten... we appreciate it and it means a lot," Colaso said.
A borough representative later thanked the district for its partnership with the New Milford Police Department, saying the borough "appreciate[s] the strong working relationship, the great communication, and the fantastic communication with the borough, the New Milford Police Department, and the school district" to maintain community safety.
No formal disciplinary details beyond counts reported in the superintendent's routine discipline summary were disclosed at the meeting. Colaso said three incident reports related to the February report were investigated, one met the criteria and two were unfounded, and that three additional reports were under investigation. He asked the board to approve the February report and to consider counseling and communication needs as the investigations continue.
The board did not vote on any new safety policy at the meeting. Colaso said the district is coordinating with law enforcement and the prosecutor's office on next steps and that the district will continue to provide updates to families and staff as investigations proceed.
