UPDATE: Weston High School Placed Under Temporary Lockdown

Update, 8:37 p.m.

Dr. Colleen Palmer, superintendent of schools, sent out the following message Wednesday evening:

As you are aware, the Weston High School community went into lockdown, and the building was subsequently evacuated earlier today. This action was taken in response to a threat directed at our staff and students. No specific student or staff member was identified in the threat. However, in consultation with the Chief of Police, the Weston Police Department authorized the lockdown as a precautionary measure to ensure everyone’s safety.

Staff assisted with the evacuation of our students in an orderly fashion to the intermediate and middle schools.  Staff took attendance and dismissed students to their appropriate buses and student drivers to their cars. The police completed a thorough search and the building has been deemed safe for students to return. School will be in session tomorrow and operate on a normal schedule for all students.

We commend our students and staff at all of the schools for their cooperation.

Update, 3:50 p.m.

Kate Goldberg, a senior at Weston High School, recounted her experience during the lockdown.

"I was terrified," she said. "We were all sitting in our classroom, and an announcement came over that said, 'We are on lockdown, this is not a drill.'"

View Goldberg's video account of the Weston High School lockdown.

Goldberg said her math teacher gathered everyone in the corner of the classroom and said if it was a real threat, he would break the window and they'd all jump out.

She eventually started to talk to people outside of school via text message, and realized the threat had subsided. 

Goldberg, a cheerleader, said she was disappointed practice was canceled today.

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Update, 2:24 p.m.

The school sent out its second update regarding the lockdown at Weston High School Wednesday afternoon:

Out of an abundance of caution, Weston High School is currently evacuating all students in an orderly fashion under the supervision of the Weston Police Department due to an unconfirmed threat.  Students are being evacuated to Weston Middle School and Weston Intermediate School. The high school evacuation will allow the Weston Police Department to search the entire building. 

• Buses will depart for high school students only at approximately 2:00 p.m.  Buses will be staged in front of WIS and WMS.  Student drivers will be escorted to parking lots from either WIS or WMS, and every car will be searched by police before releasing student drivers one by one.
• Buses will return to campus for the next bus tier for WMS students only – this will delay dismissal time to approximately 2:45 p.m.
• Buses will then again return to campus for a third tier today at WIS and HES – this will delay dismissal time to approximately 3:30 p.m.
• All after-school activities have been canceled.
• The Weston Police Department has asked that all high school students take the bus home this afternoon and that parents not personally pick up their student to keep the front of the high school clear from traffic. 
• Parents may pick up their child at dismissal time at HES, WIS, and WMS for these schools only.

 We will update you with dismissal times as we manage the flow of buses. 

Original article:

Weston High School is temprorarily locked down, according to an email blast sent out from the school Wednesday afternoon.

"As a precautionary measure Weston High School has been placed in a temporary lockdown in response to an unconfirmed threat," the email blast reads. "The other three schools are not in lockdown."

Check back for updates, which will be posted as soon as they're available.

—Chris Rueli contributed to this report.