Dear Utica City School District Families,
Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your cooperation and support today as we responded to a reported security incident at John F. Kennedy Middle School.
At approximately 9:15 a.m., the school received a phone call indicating that explosive devices had been placed around the building and would detonate at a specific time. While the threat was unverified, we immediately made the decision to evacuate students and staff out of an abundance of caution and relocate them to a designated evacuation site.
I want to take a moment to recognize how our school community responded. Our students and staff handled a very stressful situation with calm and composure. Under the leadership of Principal De Jesus and the JFK team, students were safely evacuated, accounted for, and supported throughout the entire process.
The Utica Police Department, along with federal and local partners, responded quickly and took the lead in investigating the threat. This included a full sweep of the building and surrounding grounds, supported by specialized K-9 units trained in explosive detection. No devices were found, and the building was ultimately determined to be safe.
Once law enforcement completed their work, we coordinated a return to the building. Students were transported back to JFK, and the school day resumed. Dismissal proceeded as scheduled.
An investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies into the origin of the call is ongoing.
If you have any information related to this incident, we encourage you to contact the Utica Police Department. As a community, we all share a responsibility to speak up and report concerns.
Thank you again to our students, staff, and families for your cooperation throughout the day. I also want to recognize our partners in law enforcement for their swift response, and our school teams for the professionalism and care they showed throughout this situation.
I am especially proud of how our staff supported students during a difficult and unexpected disruption, keeping them safe, calm, and focused as we worked together to return to a normal school day.
Respectfully,
Dr. Christopher Spence
Superintendent of Schools