Another youth arrested as Southern Boone dismisses early, cancels Tuesday classes

ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)

Another youth was arrested Monday for alleged threats in the Southern Boone School District as classes dismissed early and administrators called off Tuesday's session.

The Ashland Police Department posted on Facebook that it was told about a verbal threat related to the Southern Boone Middle School at about 9 a.m. Monday and arrested a student for fourth-degree assault.

"There is no other known threat to the community or schools related to this incident," the department wrote in the post. No more information would be released because the suspect is a juvenile, the department says.

Southern Boone School District officials later announced that they would release students early and cancel classes after additional threats and rumors on Monday.

'We hope this period of time will allow for tension and anxiety to ease in our community," Superintendent Tim Roth wrote in a statement. "The district continues to work closely with the Ashland Police Department to ensure the safety and security of everyone in our schools."

All extracurricular activities have been canceled for Monday and Tuesday. The Board of Education meeting scheduled for Monday was also postponed.

Several parents of Southern Boone Middle School students held a tense meeting Monday morning with district administrators over apparent threats made by a student.

A juvenile was arrested Friday for allegedly making a terrorist threat against Southern Boone County Middle School, according to Ashland police. The juvenile is a student from the district and made a verbal threat, although the details of the threat have not been released.

Parents told ABC 17 News outside the school Monday morning that they want to hear a plan from administrators regarding disciplining the student. Several parents left the meeting crying and most said they are keeping their students out of school until the district tells them about its plan.

Parents told ABC 17 News that the student in question had violent drawings of other students and posted images with guns online.

A district spokesman wrote in an emailed response to questions that district leaders listened to parents' concerns during the meeting. The district says it will consider all concerns carefully.

"The district is committed to open communication and transparency, and we want to ensure that all concerns are carefully considered moving forward," the statement says. "We value the input from our parents and community members and will continue working collaboratively to address the concerns raised."

The district later said in a message to families that school administrators are prohibited by law from sharing specific details about student discipline.

"This means that while we may not be able to disclose certain information regarding the student involved or the specifics of the threat, please know that the district and the Ashland Police Department take all necessary actions to protect the safety of our school community," Superintendent Tim Roth wrote. "Your trust in this process is greatly appreciated as we balance transparency with the legal responsibility to protect student privacy."

The Ashland Police Department posted on Facebook regarding the arrest and they said they are aware of rumors circulating on social media. One rumor involved a gun being brought to a football game and another involved a knife.

The department said those rumors were false and there was no known threat to the district. Ashland police reiterated that because the suspect is a juvenile, it limits the amount of information that can be released.

The department on Monday posted a QR code to its Facebook page for people to send screenshots and digital files related to the police investigation.

The Benton County Sheriff's Office said Monday in a Facebook post that it was notified of "an implied threat of a shooting during the upcoming homecoming parade" toward the school district in Warsaw, Missouri. A juvenile was taken into custody related to the threat, the sheriff's office says.

Schools across Mid-Missouri have been investigating rumors of threats popping up on social media, but the threats turned out to not be credible.

Look for updates to this developing story.