On September 24 at approximately 1:20 p.m., Monroe Township Public Schools placed four of its schools in a “secure” status, which restricted any entry and exit from Williamstown High School, Williamstown Middle School, Oak Knoll Elementary and Holly Glen Elementary during the remainder of the school day.
Each school stayed in this status until its regular dismissal time, where students and staff were able to leave the building for the day with extra security present outside the schools. All student activities were canceled, besides away athletic games and the Kids Choice childcare program.
The district made the decision with the Monroe Township Police Department (MTPD) to enforce the “secure” status because of a security incident regarding a missing juvenile, according to statements Superintendent Brian McBride released on September 24 and 25, as well as a media release from MTPD.
According to these statements, there was police activity in the area of South Main Street and Garwood Avenue, while the MTPD was handling a report of a missing juvenile.
MTPD was notified of the missing juvenile, a 16-year-old boy, on the afternoon of September 24. According to MTPD’s media release, which was posted to Facebook later that evening, “MTPD sought the public’s assistance in locating the juvenile through a public alert broadcast, including social media notifications and a Reverse 911 emergency notification to area residents.” In the notifications, it stated the juvenile was last seen in the South Main Street area of town, and it described what he was last seen wearing.
MTPD’s media release said, “The juvenile’s family member responded to police headquarters and reported the juvenile missing after a verbal dispute. The juvenile made concerning statements during the dispute, before fleeing from the family members’ vehicle. Officers immediately began checking the area for the juvenile.”
MTPD reported that the juvenile was “located safe without incident at approximately 4:15 p.m., after receiving a tip from the public.” No further details will be released, as the entire incident involved a minor.
The decision to keep the students in the schools in the “secure” status and off school properties after school was made after MTPD requested the action. Its media release said, “Due to the close proximity to our schools and out of an abundance of caution, the police department notified the school district of an active investigation in the area, triggering several schools in a ‘secure’ status, at our request.”
In Superintendent McBride’s statement, which was released the day after the incident on September 25, he said, “Due to concerning statements made by the individual prior to fleeing the scene, (MTPD) contacted school district administration. We collectively decided to place the area schools into a ‘secure’ status while MTPD conducted their search. During this time, the secure status restricted entry and exit for our buildings.”
Starting around 1:20 p.m., when the schools were placed in “secure” status, some parents and family members began posting about the incident with little information in different Williamstown and Monroe Township Facebook groups and pages. According to many posts and comments, people were worried about the safety of students and curious to know what was going on, as there had been no official word from the school district at this point. There also had been unverified comments about the juvenile and his actions.
Additionally, there appeared to be confusion with the school’s status. Some students, parents and families seemed to misinterpret “secure” status as a shelter in place or lock down. While under “secure” status, all functions within the school buildings ran as normal, and students were not instructed to hide or abstain from coursework, which is what they may need to do during an active lock down.
“Students and staff were able to maintain their regular schedules and movement without interruption inside the schools,” McBride said in his statement.
“(MTPD) managed the incident with command and control. In close collaboration with them, we determined that students could be released at their regular dismissal time without restriction. The timing of our communication was also coordinated with the police department to ensure that the information we provided was accurate and did not interfere with their ongoing operations,” he continued.
While the initial incident was safely managed with no reported harm to any of the township’s schools, there was concern and frustration from many parents and families, as they were not updated about the incident as it was occurring or before the end of the school day.
Additionally, there was allegedly some greater concern with families who could not get in contact with their students, as students were adhering to the district’s latest cell phone policy.
The recently implemented bell-to-bell policy for the 2026-2027 school year restricts students from using their personal devices and cell phones once the school day starts at the first bell until the school day ends at the final bell. According to the district’s letter on the policy, which was released in August, this means students cannot use their devices during “class time, lunch, study hall, passing periods and other time between classes,” and the devices must be turned off and stored away in a bag or locker.
While some parents seemingly did get in contact with their students, as some people posted in Facebook groups that their children contacted them about the happenings before the end of the school day, others were frustrated they could not get in touch with their children during this incident and in future incidents.
The district was aware of the concerns, and it was addressed in McBride’s statement the following day.
“I recognize that these events may have caused worry for our parents, students, and staff, and that the timing of our notification may have exacerbated those concerns. This was certainly not our intent. We are currently reviewing our practices, but it is important to note that during an active security matter, district administration works in close coordination with law enforcement, and the release of information is determined by the specific nature of the situation as it unfolds,” he said.
While McBride stated that he is “confident” the “established procedures functioned as intended,” he recognized the concern it caused the community and that “families need to receive information more promptly.”
“The safety and security of our students and staff remain my highest priority…we are committed to improving our communication timeline moving forward,” he said.
There are no further updates to reveal about the incident at this time.
Williamstown High School, Williamstown Middle School, Oak Knoll Elementary and Holly Glen Elementary were directed by the Monroe Township Police Department to be placed in “secure” status on the afternoon of September 24 following an incident with a missing juvenile.
