Following a stressful morning spawned by a hoax 911 call reporting a shooting at Savannah High School, school operations are set to continue as normal on Thursday, according to a school system spokeswoman.
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday Savannah-Chatham Public School System Spokeswoman Stacy Jennings said normal school operations are expected to continue on Thursday.
"We don't have any plans to make any changes," Jennings said, noting that parents would be updated should plans change.
Jennings said the district's attendance policy will still be observed Thursday. Any absences will be counted as they normally would.
Counselors on site
Counselors will be available for students and staff "well beyond today," a Wednesday statement from SCCPSS Director of Student Affairs Dr. Quentina Miller-Fields read.
"In response to today’s event, several students as well as staff may have been traumatized. To assist with this emotional event professional school guidance counselors and school social workers are on-site to assist students, faculty staff, and families. Please note that the assistance will extend beyond today. If anyone needs assistance, please feel free to reach out to the Department of Student Affairs at (912) 395-5584," Miller-Fields' statement read in full.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
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Multiple Georgia schools fielded reports similar to the false Savannah High 911 call on Wednesday, from Glynn County to Richmond County. Of all the unanswered questions from the slew of false shooting reports, the most pressing is: Who did this?
No state or federal agencies have been able to confirm the total number of threats yet, although at least four school districts acknowledged threats and over a dozen school districts may have received threats.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is "aware of reports" of the incidents, according to Nelly Miles, director of public and governmental affairs for GBI.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's Wednesday statement points towards a high-level response, with plans to bring in the FBI to investigate "these acts of domestic terrorism," he said.
"Rest assured, for the criminals who orchestrated these hoaxes, we will go after them with every single resource available. The FBI is actively investigating these acts of domestic terrorism, and we will continue to diligently work with them to see these culprits are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Will Peebles is the City Council and County Commission reporter for Savannah Morning News, covering local Savannah and Chatham County decisions. He can be reached at wpeebles@savannahnow.com or on Twitter @willpeeblesSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: After shooting hoax, Savannah-Chatham schools will resume schedule with counselors on site
