Maranacook Community High and Middle schools, which were closed Tuesday because of an anonymous threat posted on social media, are expected to open as usual on Wednesday.
Police determined that the threat against MCHS was targeting Madison Central High School in Richmond, Kentucky, rather than the high school in Readfield, Maine.
According to a posting by a Kentucky State Police Trooper Robert Purdy, public affairs officer for Post 7 in Richmond, a juvenile at the Kentucky school was being questioned on Tuesday.
“The post on social media did not specify a state,” said Donna Wolfrom, superintendent of Regional School Unit 38, the Maranacook Area Schools. “In this day and age, it’s about student and staff safety.”
She said the threat was passed on to the principal by a parent.
Both schools at the Maranacook campus were closed on Tuesday. The elementary schools in the district had classes as usual.
The district sent notifications and posted an announcement on Facebook saying, “Due to a concern for campus safety, there will not be school today, November 28 at the middle school and high school. Middle school and high school students and staff should not report to school, as the schools will be closed. Additionally, there will be no activities after school today. Planned activities will be rescheduled.”
Wolfrom also said that cones were put across the road early Tuesday to ensure that people could not drive up onto the campus.
She said she was grateful for extra patrols that have been conducted by both Maine State Police and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
About 700 students attend the two schools.
“Hopefully, we’ll be all set,” Wolfrom said on Wednesday.
She said she had spoken to state police around noon on Tuesday and that they had been in contact with police in Kentucky.
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