Feb 17, 2023 4 min read

A teen who does not attend Burgettstown Middle/High School and hid inside a bathroom for two hours at the school last month posed no safety threat, the district superintendent said earlier this week.

In a letter posted on the school district’s website, Stephen Puskar wrote that after the student, who had accompanied a district student to school Jan. 13, was caught by the school police officer, “It was determined that at no time was there a threat to the safety and well-being of any individual on the BASD campus or within the school buildings at any time.”

But parents who attended Monday’s school board meeting expressed concerns about how the incident was handled, with one parent suggesting the school should have been placed on lockdown and others wondering why parents hadn’t been notified.

“School should have been put on lockdown as soon as they heard there was an intruder. Doesn’t matter the age, sex, size – it doesn’t matter,” said one parent during the public comments portion of the meeting.

In the letter, issued Tuesday, Puskar said that on Jan. 13, a Burgettstown Middle/High School student brought the unauthorized student to school, and the friend decided to stay in the restroom, “thinking it would be funny to see how long he could do so.”

The Burgettstown student planned to do the same thing the following day at the friend’s school.

School administrators and the school police officer were notified that there was an unknown adolescent in the building, and the officer found the person.

“It was determined there was no safety threat present,” Puskar wrote.

But on their way to the office, the unauthorized student panicked and fled the school, with the officer in pursuit. Eventually, Smith Township police caught the teen at the home of the Burgettstown student.

The individual was charged with trespassing, and his home school district was notified about the incident. The Burgettstown student was disciplined.

Said Puskar, “The situation was assessed, and as addressed in our Emergency Operations Plan, did not warrant a shift to lockdown.”

Puskar said the district strives to provide the safest and most secure learning environment possible, and noted several security measures in place.

The district employs one full-time, armed police officer, but is considering adding more armed officers.

He said security cameras are installed throughout the school buildings, on district grounds, and at the stadium; exterior doors at both school buildings are routinely checked throughout the day; the offices in both school buildings are equipped with electronic alert systems for certain exterior doors; and employees undergo safety and security training.

The school district’s three-year Emergency Operations Plan expires at the end of 2023, and the district will revise and update it as needed.

The school district has requested a Risk Vulnerability Assessment that will be conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Team, which is administered by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Domestic Security Division.

“It is unfortunate that in today’s school violence climate, what was once thought of as “kids just being kids” (which is what the situation above would have been construed as at one time) must be treated differently. We must treat all abnormal situations as possible threats to the safety and security of our students and employees,” wrote Puskar. “More importantly, we do treat these situations in this manner.”

Puskar said he takes pride in keeping open lines of communication, and in issuing alerts to students and families as situations develop.

He acknowledged parents’ apprehension, and said moving forward the school district will “be mindful of the concerns that this incident sparked, and consider them when making a decision on issuing an alert.”