UPDATE: Three non-students entered West Fargo High on Friday setting off a lockdown
WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — West Fargo School Superintendent Beth Slette reveals that three non-students entered West Fargo High School on Friday.
It was originally reported that just one non-student had entered the campus, forcing it into a lockdown.
Her message to parents and staff is below:
On Friday, West Fargo High School enacted lockdown protocol after three juveniles who are not enrolled at WFHS gained access to the building. We want to share a review of the situation and the steps we are taking moving forward.
WFHS serves more than 1,400 learners each day, supported by nearly 200 staff. With 23 exterior doors, maintaining a balance between creating a welcoming school environment and ensuring a secure campus is a responsibility we take very seriously. The district has invested millions of dollars in security upgrades, including controlled main entrances that direct visitors through the office, but our most critical line of defense remains the people inside our schools.
Camera footage from Friday afternoon shows four juveniles (one WFHS learner and three non-students) enter the vestibule of the main entrance at WFHS, where we can see them try and fail to gain access through the first set of interior doors before gaining entry through the second set of interior doors. Through a technological audit of those doors, we can confirm that all three sets of interior doors were in a locked status that afternoon. After consulting with our maintenance department this morning, we determined that the spring tension and latch speed on the middle set of doors needed adjustment. This ensures the doors close and secure properly despite the “vacuum effect” created in the vestibule by the air handling system. Those adjustments have been made, and the doors are now working as expected. The security guard at WFHS will be conducting frequent checks of these doors over the next few weeks to ensure the door continues to function as expected.
Two of the non-students left on their own before engaging with administration; those juveniles have been identified. Once the third juvenile was identified as a non-student, an Assistant Principal and our SRO immediately approached and began escorting the individual to the office. During that escort, the juvenile ran from the building. It is a credit to the WFHS team that within the first seven days of school, they were already familiar enough with their student body to recognize someone who didn’t belong.
The decision to enact lockdown protocol was done out of an abundance of caution when the third juvenile ran before administration could determine their intent for being on-campus. We understand that any lockdown is concerning to families, and even more so following the tragic act of school violence that occurred just 3.5 hours from us earlier in the week. Please know that our top priority is always the safety of those who learn and work at WFHS. While no system is perfect, we continue to review our practices, reinforce expectations with staff and learners, and partner with law enforcement to ensure swift and effective responses to potential risks.
WFPS is working closely with the West Fargo Police Department to identify the third non-student and determine appropriate next steps.
We appreciate your trust and partnership as we work together to keep WFHS a safe and supportive place for learning.
Sincerely,
Beth Slette, Superintendent of Schools
Vincent Williams, Secondary Assistant Superintendent
Heather Leas, Director of Health, Safety, & Public Relations
