Flagler Schools superintendent reassures parents after 'intense' week of threats, lockdowns

After a week of repeated threats, lockdowns and disruptions at Buddy Taylor Middle School and other Flagler County schools, Superintendent LaShakia Moore said in a video message the district is undeterred from making the year's final week a "great" one.

Flagler County authorities announced Friday the arrest of a 13-year-old South Daytona boy who they say was dared by a friend at Buddy Taylor Middle School in Palm Coast to call in a bomb threat. Sheriff Rick Staly said in a press conference Friday he believes that call was a copycat threat of other "swatting" calls that had been made earlier in the week against Buddy Taylor, Wadsworth and Old Kings elementary schools.

Moore called it an "intense" week.

"We have a very detailed safety protocol that is followed in each of these events," she said, "and our students, our faculty and staff have demonstrated that they are aware of these procedures and that they implemented them extremely well."

Students absent from Flagler schools during the past week were given administratively excused absences, but starting Monday, May 20, absences will not be automatically marked as excused, the Flagler district website states.

With regard to threats, Moore said the Flagler district does not stand alone. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly told her that at least five other Florida counties have received similar disruptions. Volusia County Schools reported two such calls Thursday.

"The sheriff has determined that at this time, there is no credible threat to Flagler County," Moore said. "So all of our planned end-of-the-year events will continue."

"If you have a student at home that is in need of any support, we have a counseling team that is available and willing to provide any support that is necessary," Moore said.

"It has been been a stressful week for our students, for our faculty, our staff, as well as our sheriff's department, but we are going to do everything in our power to ensure our students have a great end of the year," she said.

Just four school days remain before the end of the 2023-24 academic year. School lets out Thursday, May 23.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Schools' final week remains on schedule despite swatting calls