By Charley Lemons, Superintendent Cameron Parish Schools

Parents and Guardians,

In light of yesterday’s (Thursday, Sept. 11) situation at South Cameron High School, we want to share an update on how we will handle communication going forward.

Our first priority will always be to act quickly to keep students and staff safe.

The challenge yesterday was that students who heard about a possible threat or weapon did not report it to adults right away. Once teachers were notified, they immediately took action—searched the student’s book sack, escorted him to the office, and discovered an air soft weapon. At no time was there imminent danger to students or staff. The matter was immediately turned over to the Sheriff’s Department for investigation. Once their process was complete, we released all the details.

Moving forward, we will notify parents earlier when a “situation” arises. However, please understand that in those first notifications, many details may still be limited or unavailable. While we understand the desire to be notified immediately, our responsibility is also to ensure that the information we provide is accurate. The delay yesterday was never to withhold information, but to make sure what we shared was correct.

We ask parents to please talk to your children about the importance of reporting any threats or concerns immediately. Let the adults determine whether a threat is real. Next week, school staff members will be visiting students on their respective campuses parish-wide to stress the importance of being vigilant for everyone’s safety.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue working together to keep our schools safe.