Beacon Schools In ‘Lockout’ After Rombout Threat

Dec 22, 2023

Threat likely false but police remain at schools all day

Public schools in Beacon were in "lockout" mode on Friday (Feb. 24) after Beacon police received a call that morning from an individual who made a threat regarding Rombout Middle School.

According to the school district, students are safe in their classes during a lockout and can move between classrooms during period changes.

The threat was received while students were arriving at Rombout and as elementary students boarded buses, Superintendent Matt Landahl said in an email sent Friday afternoon to families.

Beacon police immediately responded to secure Rombout and the other five schools in the city, and began coordinating with administrators and Town of Fishkill police. (Glenham Elementary School is in Fishkill.)

After assessing the threat as false, the district determined that the safest place for students was in classes with law enforcement present at all six schools and a lockout in place for the remainder of the day, Landahl said.

Police said their investigation quickly revealed that the specifics of the threat were highly consistent with other false warnings that have been called in throughout the country.

The police also said there was no evidence so far indicating that the call was made by a student in the Beacon district, but they are continuing to investigate the incident with the FBI's Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force.