Blaine school board asks state to waive missed days following lockdown

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Blaine school board filed an application to Washington state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in a special meeting June 6 for the waiver of two school days that were canceled after the lockdown May 25. The motion carried 3-0, with board members Charles Gibson and Todd Nunamaker absent.
School administrators put Blaine school district’s main campus into lockdown May 25 after a student received anonymous threats via text message. A Blaine Middle School student was arrested May 27 after sending additional messages and admitting, when questioned by law enforcement, that he meant for the messages to be a prank. Following the lockdown and with a suspect not yet identified, Blaine school district canceled school for the remainder of the week, May 26-27, and anticipated the state would not require make-up days.
In the application sent to OSPI, superintendent Christopher Granger explained the details of the lockdown and how its proximity to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which happened the day before, heightened its impact on the community.
“This situation was highly stressful and traumatic for staff, students and parents, especially given the shooting in Texas one day prior,” Granger wrote. “For the care of our community and to have time to process and prepare staff for a return we elected to cancel school on May 26 and 27.”
The waiver would allow the district to end its school year on Friday, June 17 as planned.

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