Superintendent says he believes Lake Travis HS will be safe despite threat

Lake Travis ISD superintendent Paul Norton says there is a plan in place for Thursday, Dec. 9 after a threatening message was found inside a Lake Travis HS restroom.

AUSTIN, Texas - The superintendent of Lake Travis ISD says he believes campus will be safe on Thursday, December 9th even after a message written on a bathroom wall threatens a school shooting on that day.

Lake Travis High School administration were made aware on Monday of a threatening message written inside one of the women’s restrooms. The message had a pistol drawn with the message "Caution: I am going to shoot this school up on December 9th".

"Anytime we find a threat, we take it very seriously. We have a process that we went through, and part of that process is working with our chief of police and a couple others to evaluate the threat and evaluate if it's something that we deem as credible," said Superintendent Paul Norton.

Norton sat down with FOX 7 Austin to discuss the threat made against the high school for December 9th. He says a plan is in place for that day.

"We can't go through the whole plan because, obviously, if somebody is doing something, we don't want them to know what our plan is. But, what I can tell you is that we have worked with other law enforcement agencies [on this]," said Norton.

Norton understands if parents want to keep their children home, but he believes Lake Travis High School will be safe come December 9th.

"We believe the campus will be safe tomorrow, but we understand that if parents don't feel safe. Our message to parents today would be to do what's best for their child," said Norton.

Increased police presence at Lake Travis HS following threat

There will be an increased police presence at Lake Travis High School the rest of the week after the discovery of a note in one of the women's bathrooms that said, "Caution: I am going to shoot this school up on December 9."

Multiple parents told FOX 7 they will not be sending their kids to school on Thursday. "My gut tells me just to keep them home to play it safe. I would rather be safe than sorry," parent Holly Fleischman said.

Around 24 hours before the day of the threat, parents say their high school kids are scared.

"With everything that's been going on in the last few years, and just recently in states like Michigan, our own state, Florida, etc., you know, we can never be too cautious," said parent Kevin Lyons.

Lake Travis ISD sent out an email to parents on Tuesday saying they are working with police to conduct a full investigation into this threat and assured parents the district has a well-defined crisis management plan in place.

"On Monday, December 6, the Lake Travis High School administration was made aware of an anonymous message scribbled inside a women’s restroom. The message, written in black marker, indicated "Caution: I am going to shoot this school up on December 9.Our Lake Travis ISD police department, along with our high school administrative team, are conducting a full investigation into this matter. We are receiving comments and feedback through our Cavs Who Care Tip Line that there is concern from students at Lake Travis High School about this discovery. Please be assured, we take these types of situations seriously. In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, we have put together a plan for increased police presence at Lake Travis High School for the remainder of the week and will coordinate efforts with other local law enforcement agencies as needed. Let me assure you that the District has a well-defined crisis management plan which is rehearsed and assessed regularly. I urge you to continue sending your child to school, but I also respect your rights and needs as parents to make informed decisions for your children. If you have a student at Lake Travis High School, please encourage your student to immediately report any suspicious activity to an adult. Together, we will continue to work to protect our children and foster a safe learning environment for all students."

Lake Travis ISD is not the only local school district facing threats. Austin, Leander, Round Rock and San Marcos ISD have all faced similar threats, but those threats were investigated and found to have no substance.

However, a juvenile student from La Grange Middle School was charged with making a terroristic threat after a threat was posted to TikTok.

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