September 24, 2023
Dear Mountaineer Families and School Community,
I am writing to inform you of a matter of utmost importance regarding the safety of our students and staff. I also want to communicate this information to our families because, at some point, information will be posted in the news, social media, and other outlets. I want to provide information to you from the school district level as opposed to you hearing it from other sources.
On Sunday evening, September 24, 2023, Iron Mountain Public Schools received information from our School Resource Officer about a potential threat to our schools. Law Enforcement believed North Elementary School and Woodland Elementary in Kingsford could be in danger and unsafe for the start of school on Monday, September 25, 2023. While we take all threats seriously and investigate them thoroughly, we developed a plan to cancel school for Monday, September 25, 2023, and err on the side of caution to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our school community should we need to do so.
However, due to the multi-agency investigation Sunday evening, I was informed around 10:30 p.m. that the suspect being investigated was located and taken into police custody. In working with local Law Enforcement, they informed me that they do not have any further reason to believe that any school campus was under threat and we would be safe to hold school as usual, as would Woodland Elementary School.
Our top priority is the safety of our students and staff, and we will take every necessary measure to ensure that our schools are secure. We understand that when making decisions to close school for whatever reason, these decisions may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for any disruption decisions like these cause to your daily routines. We believe, however, that taking these precautionary steps is in the best interest of our school community.
I want to thank the many Law Enforcement agencies that worked on this incident, particularly the IMPD, for the excellent communication and partnership. Their cooperation with local schools is greatly appreciated, and we will continue to support them in any way we can to keep our community and schools safe.
Lastly, I would like to thank Breitung Township schools for working closely together, developing plans, communicating, and caring for all our staff and students regardless of where one chooses to attend school.
The safety and security of your children and our staff are of the utmost importance to us, and we appreciate your understanding and support during these challenging times. Please keep our school communities in your thoughts and prayers as we contend with issues such as these.
Sincerely,
Jerome J. Sardina
Superintendent

school_safety_threat_-_9.25.23.pdf |