Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff,
I wanted to reach out to Baldwinsville families today to give you an update on the incident that occurred yesterday afternoon at C.W. Baker High School. The Baldwinsville Police Department is concluding its investigation and our staff is continuing to reflect on the safety protocols that were used and how we can continue to make improvements to our procedures to keep our schools and district safe.
Baldwinsville police officers interviewed the individual, a former student, who illegally entered C.W. Baker High School. Police Chief Michael Lefancheck said there does not appear to be anything ‘nefarious’ to the individual’s intentions. The individual told police he was feeling “nostalgic” and wanted to return to the school and play basketball. He did have a basketball with him.
The individual never made any threats while he was in the school. Police said they didn’t find any weapons while searching his vehicle and residence. He has been banned from school property.
The police chief told us the individual knew he had made a mistake, and had caused alarm by his actions. The individual has apologized to administrators for his actions.
Baker Principal Kris Denton addressed high school students and staff this morning by saying:
“I need to remind you that it is so important that whenever you see something that doesn’t seem just right, you have to say something. A staff member did that yesterday, and it gave us time to work on the problem at hand and ensure that we were prepared to keep our students, our staff, and our building safe. We will always put everyone’s safety first. Always. Remember that when you leave the building out any other exit than the Main Entrance, nobody should be coming into the building. Nobody – not another student, not a parent, and not any outsider. After 7:35 a.m. every single day, and into the after school activity and athletic hours, everyone coming into the building must go through the Main Entrance. The Athletic Entrance near the small gym and the Auditorium Entrance may be open for games and special events after school, but that will always include threat detection and staff.”
Administrators at Ray Middle School and Durgee Junior High School are also conducting safety protocol reviews with their students and staff.
Thank you to our staff and students who were on campus Monday afternoon. You did an amazing job following our safety procedures and remaining calm during an uncertain situation.
On behalf of the district, I would like to again thank the Baldwinsville Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police for investigating this incident.
Thank you to our parents and families for your patience and understanding. For those of you who have reached out to us, please know that your concerns are heard and your feedback is valuable.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joseph M. DeBarbieri
Superintendent of Schools
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