Albuquerque –
The Digital Arts and Technology Academy (DATA) Charter High School announced on Facebook at about 7:45 AM:
“Dear DATA families, we apologize for the late notice, but we are canceling school for the day. We will reach out via email with more information.”
A student’s parent told ABQ RAW that a threat was reported and supposedly called in to the school. APD was purportedly on scene actively investigating when we spoke to this parent.
The school posted another announcement on Facebook at 10:10 AM which stated:
“We’ve sent out a parent communication about today’s school cancellation. Please check your emails!”
The school’s Facebook post asks parents or guardians to contact the school if you’re not getting emails, texts, or calls, so they can add you to the distribution list.
The school is described on their website as a Digital Arts and Technology Academy, a public charter school for grades 7-12 in Albuquerque, NM.
ABQ RAW attempted to contact the DATA Charter High School for comment on this matter. We also inquired if the school was planning to reopen tomorrow. In addition, we asked if we could have a copy of the letter sent to parents. The first person that we emailed, they kindly requested that we email the school administrator, which we did. As of this posting, we have not heard back from the school administrator. If we hear back, we will post their reply in an update.
For individuals caught with a firearm, other weapons, or making threats against a school, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office is pursuing the maximum allowable punishment and is also working to ensure that juvenile offenders are held in custody while the case proceeds through the judicial process.
UPDATE:
DATA responded to us and stated:
Hello DATA Families,
Around 7 this morning, 911 received a bomb threat directed at our school. As soon as our administrative team was notified, we immediately alerted families via our Facebook page, email, and phone (both automated call and text message). APD arrived on scene and cleared the perimeter and inside of our building. We now know the threat originated from someone in another state, not affiliated with our school or community. We are aware that other local schools experienced similar threats with origins from outside our state. However, any time there is a threat to our school, we must consider it credible until law enforcement determines otherwise.
If you did not receive communication, please ensure your contact information is up to date in PowerSchool. If you are having trouble logging into PowerSchool, please contact our IT department.
In the event of any credible threat at our school, our administrative team will notify you promptly and directly. This process includes:
- Immediate assessment of the threat by our team (administration, security and counseling). This may include law enforcement.
- Swift implementation of our emergency response protocols (see attached letter for more information): Parent notification letter 24-25.doc
- Direct communication to families through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/DATACharterABQ), email, phone call and text.
We will send notifications for verified threats OR if a potential threat investigation requires more time than needed for the process to be completed. We carefully evaluate all potential security risks to avoid unnecessary alarm, while also being transparent about what is occurring in our DATA community. We also ask that parents and students don’t spread unverified information as this can lead to confusion and fear.
Classes will resume as usual tomorrow.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our administrative team.
Thank you for your trust in our team.
She stated that “APD shared there have been a number of these types of threats generated throughout the state and countrywide.”