The Oconomowoc Police Department is currently investigating a threat made towards Nature Hill Intermediate Middle School.
According to an email sent out to parents from the school’s principal, on Friday, December 12, a threat was shared online via social media. The threat was reported by a student and their family, who reached out to local law enforcement.
Police began investigating the threat that very night and continued to work on the case throughout the coming days. The school district let parents know about the situation swiftly, addressing it in an email sent out on the morning of Saturday, December 13 after rumors began to circulate among students.
Principal Krista Werchowski stated that an unnamed person had planned to bring a weapon to school on Monday, December 15. She stated that the police had been made aware of the situation and were presently investigating the situation. Werchowski also promised to keep students informed about the situation as it developed.
Later, on Sunday, December 14, a second email was sent out to Nature Hill Middle School families. Werchowski stated that the unnamed person had been identified and both they and their family were working alongside law enforcement officials. The person of interest will not be at school while the threat is under investigation.
No changes to the school’s Monday classes were made, although the school promised to have additional police presences on campus for the entirety of the day. The school also promised to give additional resources to students in the event that they need to talk with a trusted adult during class times or passing periods.
Nature Hill also gave concerned parents the opportunity to keep their children home from school that day, stating that they could “report their absence by emailing the attendance office at [email protected], enter their absence through Skyward Family Access using the instructions available under the resources section of the school’s attendance web page or by leaving a message on the school’s attendance phone line at (262) 569-4942″.
Nature Hill serves over 800 students between 5th and 8th grade. Since opening in 2008, it has maintained roughly 90 staffers and has become a beloved part of the Oconomowoc Area School District.
