This afternoon the Encinal Jr. and Sr. High campus went into a brief shelter-in-place protocol.  

All students and staff were safe, but the school had received a report of a possible weapon on campus, and it was important to secure the campus as quickly as possible. The shelter in place protocol also generated an immediate response from Alameda PD for which we are grateful. An extensive investigation followed, and ultimately no weapon was found. The shelter in place was lifted at the school's regular dismissal time. 

We would like to emphasize that all students and staff were safe throughout this incident, and we now believe there was no active threat. 

We would also like to emphasize that while safety drills can seem burdensome sometimes, this is exactly why we practice. Emergency responses need to be practiced so they become second nature and can be implemented on very short notice. In the situation today, staff and students alike responded quickly and appropriately to the shelter in place announcement, which not only kept them safe but made it easier for administrators and investigators to do their work. 

AUSD and its school sites are continuously reflecting on, refining, and practicing protocols so that we can be sure we are fluent in and able to implement the most current and effective practices in the service of student and staff safety. 

We appreciate the support of everyone in our community - students, staff, families, and local law enforcement - in helping us be ready for unexpected situations like these. In particular, we would like to thank the school leadership, staff, and student body at Encinal High School for their responsiveness this afternoon.

We recognize that incidents like these, even when they are resolved as this one was, can be deeply unsettling, and we are committed to working together with and for our community to ensure our campuses remain safe and well-prepared for a variety of situations or emergencies.