CPS says ‘appropriate consequences’ will be taken against students who had guns on campus

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools leadership said Tuesday that "appropriate consequences will be administered" to students who were caught with guns at two district high schools this month.

However, more details about the students and their motivations are unlikely to be made public, the district says, citing student privacy laws.

CPS is investigating after a gun was detected in a student’s backpack at Hickman High School on Monday. It was the second gun found on district property in less than two weeks.

CPS said the school’s weapons detection system detected the firearm as the student tried to enter the building Monday. The gun was confiscated, and the student was taken into custody by the school resource officer. The student’s name and age have not been released.

The Hickman incident happened 12 days after a gun was found inside a locked area of a student’s vehicle at Rock Bridge High School on Sept. 16.

The incident is under investigation, and a threat assessment is underway, according to a letter Superintendent Jeff Klein sent to Hickman families. Klein said school administrators, safety and security staff and the school resource officer “acted immediately” and that the detection system and staff “did exactly what they were supposed to do to keep our school safe.”

In a letter to Rock Bridge families, Klein said the gun found there was not used in a threatening manner and no threat of violence was made in connection with that incident.

An incident report states the student could have run afoul of two criminal statutes -- unlawful use of a weapon and juvenile delinquency.

CPS policy says students who have a gun on school property or at a school activity can face a suspension of at least one calendar year or expulsion. The superintendent can modify that consequence on a case-by-case basis.

CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote in response to emailed questions that "appropriate consequences will be administered."

She said the district followed its policies when handling these cases.

John McDonald with the Center for Educational Safety said some students bring guns to school because “they think it’s cool.” He was speaking generally and did not say that was the reason in either CPS case.

“The challenge is figuring out what the intent was,” McDonald said. “So that often requires a threat assessment. Sometimes you never get to the intent. Other times you do.”

McDonald said he considered CPS’s same-day communication with families “really impressive,” while noting parents want information as quickly as possible. He said officials sometimes need time to determine what happened and whether there is a threat.

“Sometimes it takes five hours to get it right, and we’d rather get it right,” McDonald said.

McDonald said districts should explain what they can share with families, even when some details must remain private.

“Being transparent is absolutely essential because it keeps the trust,” McDonald said.

A student was also found with a gun at a public school in Cole County on Monday. The sheriff's office said a student unintentionally left an unloaded gun in a locked car after hunting the day before.