End-of-year survey response prompts administrators to search student backpacks

A student’s violent response on an end-of-year survey at the State College of Florida’s Collegiate School prompted school officials to search student backpacks on Monday.

A student wrote about wanting to harm himself and others at the school. When administrators discovered the response, which was submitted anonymously, they initiated a security check of the school, said Jamie Smith, director of communications and marketing at SCF.

“As the safety and well being of all students is our first priority, a safety and security check was performed of the entire school, student bags and belongings were searched, and the Collegiate School remained secure,” Collegiate Head of School Kelly Monod said in a letter sent to parents.

Smith said the student who wrote the comment came forward once the school’s security officer began searching bags. She said ultimately the school concluded the student did not truly intend to harm anyone, and that the survey response was a joke.

“It was a student being flippant, just being a teenager, not considering the long-term effects and that it will be taken seriously,” Smith said.

Smith said after investigating the incident, school administrators were confident the student had no intent of harming anyone, but they take any threat at face value.

“Anything you say, the school is going to take it seriously,” Smith said.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "End-of-year survey response prompts administrators to search student backpacks."