ERUSD’s North Park Academy of the Arts Middle School Shooting Threat Found ‘Not Credible’

The ERUSD Board, led by Jose Lara, recently terminated the security contract with the Sheriff’s Department.

BY BRIAN HEWS

Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News has confirmed that a student at North Park Middle School yesterday overheard another student threaten a shooting but was stopped because of a tip received on the district’s alert system.

North Park is part of the El Rancho Unified School District located in Pico Rivera.

When asked for comment, El Rancho Unified School District Superintendent’s office responded, “The district’s Text-A-Tip system provided us a tip that a North Park Academy of the Arts student overheard another student make a comment that could have been interpreted as a threat. Last night, personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Pico Rivera Station and the El Rancho School Police investigated and cleared the student. There is no reason at this time to believe that there is any danger to students or staff. Classes are in session today, North Park administrators and staff have been thoroughly briefed on the situation, and mental health services personnel are making themselves available to students and staff at the school site as a precaution.”

“While it is unfortunate that there has been some disruption and alarm in the North Park community over the last 24 hours, we are grateful that in this case the district’s safety and precautionary measures worked as designed: a community member identified a concern, reported it via our Text-A-Tip system, and the district and law enforcement immediately investigated and evaluated the threat.”

But sources inside ERUSD are telling HMG-LCCN that even though the student was cleared, the staff at North Park remains alarmed about the incident.

They are “furious and scared,” said one source, “the Superintendent’s office is telling staff to keep the incident confidential… not say anything to the parents.

“The Superintendent did not notify the parents, and worse, they did not even suspend the student,” said another source.

The incident comes on the heels of a vote to terminate the district’s contract with the Sheriff’s Department.

On a 2 – 2 vote at a recent meeting, with ERUSD Board VP Gabriel Orosco abstaining, the ERUSD Board did not renew the Sheriff’s contract.

President Jose Lara and Board member Leanne Ibarra voted to terminate while Board members Dr. Teresa Merino and Carolyn Castillo voted yes.

Lara, Ibarra and Orosco indicated that the ERUSD did not want to pay the entire amount of the Sheriff’s contract, tabbed at $199,000, given the city of Pico Rivera declined to pay half of the Sheriff’scost.