School Superintendent Horton sends letter to all Coweta parents

From Coweta County School System Press Release

Below is a letter from Superintendent Evan Horton, sent today to to all Coweta parents (September 13, 2024):

Dear Coweta County Parents and Guardians,

I am writing to ask for your help with a concern that our schools have experienced over the last nine days.

Since September 4th, several schools have had students who said something or posted something online that can be construed as threats to the school or other students. Our schools and SROs take these matters very seriously. They act, investigate, assess the threat – and very serious disciplinary and legal consequences follow for the student involved. We let parents know when these incidents occur so that we operate transparently, and so that we can reduce misinformation. Our schools have had to issue over a dozen such parent letters in the past nine days.

Virtually every local incident has involved students who made comments in a heated moment with another student, or who claimed they were making or posting a shocking statement as a joke. Though these incidents are few when compared to 23,000 students in 33 schools, they are deeply disruptive and have the effect of increasing anxiety community-wide. They are also tremendously consequential to the students involved. Please take the time to talk to your children, if you think it is warranted, about any anxiety they may be feeling. Please talk to them about potential consequences of saying things that can be construed as a threat.

I, like you, am a parent to students who attend Coweta schools. I share your sense of urgency concerning safety for our children. With that in mind, I want you to know that our team is constantly striving to keep our schools a safe, secure and positive environment for learning. Our dedicated employees feel this same sense of purpose and are equally devoted to the safety and well-being of your children. We have taken many steps over many years to be proactive and diligent regarding our safety procedures, investments and protocols to maintain both school security and a positive school day for our students. We also have counselors and other resources available through our schools if they can be of help.

As always, I invite you to call me, your child’s principal, counselor or anyone on our staff to discuss any concerns that you may have. Thank you for entrusting your children to our schools, and thank you for your partnership. I appreciate your confidence in us to educate your children.

Sincerely,

Evan Horton, Ed. D.

Superintendent