Cedar Rapids Community School District

Important Safety Update from CRCSD

Dear CRCSD Community,

We want to inform you about two separate incidents that occurred at Franklin Middle School today. We assure you that all safety protocols were followed, and the situations were handled promptly and effectively.

Incident Overviews:
Incident 1: A student became upset in class. The staff pulled them into the hallway to calm down and de-escalate. However, the student ended up confronting and injuring a staff member. The student also caused self-injury by punching a window.
Incident 2: Two students were involved in a physical altercation in the hallway. During this incident, one of the students punched the glass of a display case, injuring their hand.

Our Response:
In both cases, we immediately activate our HOLD Safety Protocol. This ensured that:
All other students remained safely in their classrooms with doors shut while both of these incidents occurred in the hallways.
Paramedics were called to address the injuries
Cedar Rapids Police Department (CRPD) was notified and responded to the school to investigate both incidents.

Your Child’s Safety:
We want to emphasize that at no point was the safety of other students or staff members compromised. Our staff acted swiftly and professionally, following all established CRCSD emergency response protocols. These protocols were designed in collaboration with the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

Addressing Social Media Rumors:
It has come to our attention that several rumors about these incidents have been circulating on social media. We urge our families and community to rely only on official communications from CRCSD or CRPD for accurate information. Spreading unverified information can cause unnecessary concern and anxiety.

Our Commitment to Safety:
We understand that parents may be concerned about these incidents. We want to reassure you that your student’s safety is our highest priority. Our staff, in cooperation with the CRPD, will do everything in our power to prevent and mitigate any incidents, always putting our students’ safety and well-being first. While we regret needing to send out this news, we believe keeping our families and community informed and reassured is crucial. We are committed to maintaining open and transparent communication with you.

Moving Forward:
The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We are committed to:
Continuously reviewing and improving our safety measures.
Fostering a positive school culture where all students, staff, and families can feel safe and thrive.
Encouraging good decision-making and conflict resolution among our students.

Support:
If your child expresses any worries or has questions, we encourage you to discuss the situation with them at home. Our school counselors are also available to provide support if needed. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we work together to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for all. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your school’s principal or our district office. We appreciate your trust in us as we navigate these challenging situations.

Sincerely,
Dr. Tawana Grover
CRCSD Superintendent … See MoreSee Less

Cedar Rapids Community School District is with Cedar Rapids Police Department.

CRCSD wanted to pass along this message that we shared with our Franklin Middle School Community.

Dear Franklin Community,

I wanted to take a moment to inform you of two separate incidents that occurred at school today, which caused us to activate our HOLD Safety Protocol.

The first incident involved a student who became upset in class. Staff members moved the student into the hallway to help calm and de-escalate the situation. Unfortunately, the student proceeded to confront and attack one of the staff members. The student then punched a window, causing injury to their hand and arm. Paramedics were immediately called to assist with the injuries, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department (CRPD) arrived to investigate the situation.

The second incident involved two students who were fighting in the hallways. We once again initiated our school’s HOLD Safety Protocol, and staff worked quickly to break up the altercation. However, during the fight one of the students hit the front of a display case breaking the glass and injuring their hand. Paramedics were called to assist with the injuries, and the CRPD arrived to investigate the situation.

While I understand that seeing emergency personnel at school and hearing of these incidents can be concerning, I want to assure you that all other students were safe and remained in their classrooms as part of the HOLD Safety Protocol. However, your child may have heard some of the commotion in the halls or noticed the police and ambulance outside the school. I want to reiterate that the situation was handled swiftly, and the safety of other students was never compromised.

Please know that we take these situations very seriously. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. In addition, this is a great time to remind your student about making good choices and how their choices can impact others around them. It is important for Franklin families to know that we are committed to rebuilding a positive culture in which all of our students, staff, and families can thrive. Thank you for your support and cooperation as we work together to ensure a safe and productive learning environment for all.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office directly.

Jay Richardson, Principal
Franklin Middle School … See MoreSee Less