LAUSD faces mass shutdown

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Franklin Franco in News

Franklin Franco

Editor-in-Chief

Schools all over LAUSD are closed today due to “electronic threats” made to a number of campuses in the district. All 900 campuses are closed, affecting around 700,000 students in the “second largest district in the nation.”

According to a recent reporting by KCAL 9, the “email” was received from “overseas” at around 5 a.m. this morning and is being analyzed.

Such a shut down is seen as an “unprecedented” procedure for LAUSD but Superintendent Ramon Cortines said to news reporters this morning that he was “not going to take a chance with the life of a student.” Cortines announced that he learned of threats to multiple schools in the district through a police report this morning. According to CNN and KCAL 9, the threat was sent to a school board member through an email from Frankfurt, Germany; however, the exact location of the source is still being investigated.

It is also, coincidentally,  first day of finals and students showed up to Hollywood High ready to face their final exams, but instead they face news that all schools in LAUSD have been closed due to a bomb threat involving “backpacks” and other “packages” left on campuses.

Cortines said in a morning press conference that “it is important that in the last four hours this city [and] this community come together in behalf of our students.” He said that the safety of LAUSD students is ensured and has taken “all sorts of precautions” to guarantee that they will come home safely.

“[As for] those students that walk to school, we have had principals meet them at the gates of the school and were not dismissed until parents or guardians came to pick them up,” said Cortines during the press conference.

The safety of LAUSD students is priority, especially for parents. Parents were advised to take their children back home and pick them up at the Reunion Gate. Luckily for parents who are unable to pick up their children, Metro is also providing free bus and train transportation for all students as long as they have the proper school I.D.

Mayor Eric Garcetti advises parents to “remain calm.”

“We have also asked for our Emergency Operation Center to be activated and we have arranged for MTA to help by providing free bus rides to all LAUSD students.” said Garcetti.

This morning many students were bewildered by the news, confused as to what to do and who to believe. Many other students were watching the news as the information came up and they quickly notified their friends through calls, texts, and group messages. PAM junior Elizabeth DiMuro said she sent a message to all her friends through a text message on their group chat and she said she soon saw other members of that chain sending the same news.

“My dad told me if I had heard what happened. He told me and I couldn’t believe it.” said Elizabeth.

News channels city wide are reporting across the district reporting that there will be a search of the 900 campuses before school can reopen. According to a report by KTLA 5, many students still went to school to check out what was going on. Sheiks also went to school to see what was going on. KCAL 9 interviewed a pair of students who are still wondering what will happen to their grades and final exams.

Officers are currently searching the surroundings of Hollywood High according to the live broadcast by KCAL 9. They also reported that there are faculty members from within not allowing anyone to enter the school and are perhaps awaiting further update.

Twitter is buzzing with tweets from district official and students alike. Students are tweeting about the news. “#LAUSD” is the number one trend on twitter this morning and many are advising their friends to be safe and hoping for the best.

SAS senior Natalie Khanbeg tweeted “For those worrying about their grades… no one cares about that [right now.]”

Everyone is standing by for updates. A press conference will be held this morning to find out more information. On our campus, only the plant manager and administrators are allowed in.