Bozeman School District closes schools after receiving threat

Bozeman, Montana – Casey Bertram, the superintendent of Bozeman Public Schools, informed parents in the district via email that BSD7 will be closed on Monday, March 6, 2023, due to an unknown threat.

According to Bertram, no specific school was mentioned, and the district cooperated with law police all night. Although it is not yet considered that the threat is credible, school is canceled out of an abundance of caution.

The following is the letter’s text, which was delivered to BSD7 families on Monday morning:

“Shortly after 11 pm last night, the district received a suspicious email with a school threat. A specific school was not identified. At this time, the origin of the email is unknown. The District worked with law enforcement throughout the night. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously. It is for this reason that out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel school on Monday, March 6. All buildings will be closed during regular school hours on Monday to students, staff, and the public, so all school business is postponed, including scheduled meetings for the day. This will allow law enforcement to do its job in a thorough manner.

It is anticipated that BSD7 buildings will reopen for after school activities, including the AA band festival, at 3:30 pm today. Staff may enter buildings as needed after 3:30 pm. The reopening will be confirmed via an email message later today from my office.

We intend to reopen all buildings for regular student attendance on Tuesday, March 7. Our School Resource Officers (SRO’s) will be present and visible in our schools on Tuesday. We will also have increased Bozeman Police Department patrols near our school sites tomorrow as an added precaution.

Please underscore with your child/ren that if they hear or see something, they need to say something. If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify your school’s principal and local law enforcement immediately. For emergencies please call 911. To contact Bozeman PD SRO Sergeant Scott McCormick, call 406-582-2000. We all play a role in keeping our schools and community safe. Thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.”