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Officials from Buckingham County Public Schools asked parents and other residents to make two changes this past Friday. First, they asked that everyone follow the new safety rules, set up for football and all other sporting events at the school. Second, they asked people to let staff know of problems before posting them on social media. 

The goal was to work on improving public safety, so as of Friday, Sept. 20, Buckingham County Public Schools started restricting what is and isn’t allowed through the gates. For example, there are three types of permitted bags that can be brought in. The first is one made of clear plastic, vinyl or PVC. The second are any types of small clutches or wallets, with or without a handle or strap. The third are clear, reusable storage bags. That’s it. In the wake of the multiple school threats over the last month, Buckingham officials are just cracking down. 

“The new bag policy for sporting events was implemented as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance safety and security for all attendees,” said Melissa Hanes. She works as Director of Student Services for the district. “After reviewing current best practices and considering feedback from both security professionals and the community, we decided that this policy is an important step in ensuring a safer environment for our students, staff and visitors at large events.” 

As part of the change, all backpacks, purses, briefcases, fanny packs and any bags that aren’t transparent will no longer be allowed inside the events. Also banned will be camera bags, cinch bags and non-transparent tote bags. There are two exceptions here. The first involves any bags containing medically necessary material. The second are bags containing diapers.  

All bags, both allowed and those not allowed, will be searched once someone arrives on campus. 

Buckingham schools ask people not to share

Hanes and other school district officials said that change was needed, in order to help make people feel safe at the events. This all stems from a series of threats, both the original and then several copycat operations. Now for the one case, law enforcement officials learned there were no actual threats to the school itself. 

They discovered this had involved a much older social media post. In fact, the same one as Cumberland and Prince Edward counties, one that didn’t originate from this area. Instead, it appears the older social media post was reshared in an online group and residents in all three areas had come across it at different times, each believing that it involved their district. 

But part of the problem, as Buckingham officials pointed out, was the fact this belief of a threat quickly spread as people shared it on social media like wildfire. That was the second change that school officials asked people to make over the weekend. 

“Report it, don’t repost,” they asked in a statement sent through the school district’s phone app. “Sharing these posts on social media instead of reporting them to the proper authorities delays our ability to investigate and respond. Reposting causes unnecessary panic and disrupts our schools and community before we can determine the legitimacy of the threat.” 

If the threat turns out to be real, then district officials said they would take swift action and let people know. 

“Our top priority is to provide a secure and enjoyable experience for everyone who attends our events,” Hanes said.