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Superintendent reports noncredible school threat, seeks DOJ safety review as FEMA delays building work
Summary
Superintendent Aaron told the board a perceived threat at the high school was investigated and found not credible, apologized for slow communication, and said the district invited a Department of Justice safety official to review school safety protocols; he also described FEMA-driven delays and possible rebidding of parts of the building project.
Superintendent Aaron told the Cuba City School District board that an apparent threat reported this week was investigated and determined not to be credible. He apologized to families for the delay in public communication about the incident and said the district will move more quickly to share general information with parents in future situations.
"We will do a better job in providing parents general information quicker than we did," Aaron said, describing how rumors about the school incident caused anxiety even after investigators found no credible threat.
Aaron thanked the Cuba City Police Department — including Chief Lovell, Detective Bridal and Officer Kyle — for their response. He said the district has invited Patrick Baldwin, a state safety official from the Department of Justice, to review the district’s safety plan and this week’s response to identify best practices.
On facilities, Aaron said FEMA has the district in the final approval stage for reimbursements tied to the building project but has not provided a firm timeline. He warned that FEMA procurement requirements could force rebidding of some contractor or design work that had used earlier state procurement rules; that could change project timelines and specifications (for example, window ratings and bathroom counts) and affect cost estimates. He said the district plans to have consultants Bray and Epic present a full update for the board in May so new board members can see project renderings and ask questions.
The superintendent emphasized student safety as the district’s top priority, noted FEMA reimbursement remains pending in Washington, and said staff are preparing bidding packages for projects that can move forward this summer if FEMA approval arrives.
Next steps: district staff will arrange the DOJ safety review and schedule consultant presentations on the building assessment and project timeline for a May meeting.
