‘I was terrified’: Utah school safety alert sent district-wide due to ‘technical issue’

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Panic ensued for some parents and guardians of children in the Canyons School District after receiving an “urgent” notification that a school in the district had been placed on “secure status” pending a police investigation nearby.

The message was sent to several parents throughout the district rather than just the parents of the one affected school — Midvalley Elementary — because of what the district called a “technical issue.”

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“A technical issue with CSD’s emergency-notification system is the reason an alert about Midvalley Elementary was mistakenly sent to parents whose children attend school elsewhere,” the district said. “We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused.”

One parent who received the notification said he was “super scared” when the notification first came.

“I left work immediately,” he said.

The parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, has a daughter who attends Mount Jordan Middle School. But, because the message was sent throughout the district, he said he was “terrified.”

“I don’t think any parent wants to get that notification,” he said.

Jeffrey Haney, of Canyons School District, said the alert was sent to Midvalley families. “However, unfortunately, because of a technical issue, the message went to some parents whose children attend other schools, which caused some confusion.”

The parent said he is grateful the district’s alert systems are in place, and he understands technical issues happen.

“A technical issue is easily forgiven. Definitely a scary moment today but all is well,” he said.

When police gave the all-clear to resume normal operations at Midvalley, Haney said parents of students at that school were notified the school was no longer on secure status.

“At all times, students and employees remained safe. The police action never encroached the campus,” Haney said.

The full message is as follows:

This message is for parents and guardians of Canyons District students. A technical issue with CSD’s emergency-notification system is the reason an alert about Midvalley Elementary was mistakenly sent to parents whose children attend school elsewhere. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused. We believe we have identified and fixed the problem with the system. In the meantime, Midvalley Elementary has resumed normal operations after police concluded its investigation in the neighborhood surrounding the school. Students, teachers, and staff remained safe throughout the precautionary incident. Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or concerns, please send an email message to communications@canyonsdistrict.org.  

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