(WXYZ) — Students who attend Oxford Community Schools won't be returning to class this week. District leaders say a violent threat made against the middle school has resulted in the closure of all school buildings after many expressed concern.
The district is also implementing a new safety plan in hopes of preventing future acts of violence.
It includes discontinuing the use of backpacks and having security guards in every building. It comes more than two weeks after a shooting left four students dead, six others injured and a teacher injured.
The plan includes a "zero tolerance" for threats to the district. Officials say if you make one, you will immediately be pulled from class and a school resource officer will be notified. That action wasn't taken when accused gunman Ethan Crumbley was caught making violent drawings in class before the shooting.
At a school board meeting on Tuesday, parents were vocal about wanting change after the shooting at the high school.
"What are we going to do t make sure there isn't another loss?" Shane Gibson said.
Parents, and even the Oakland County prosecutor, have said the shooting was preventable and administrators failed to address obvious red flags.
The school board is now accepting Superintendent Tim Throne's recommendation to launch a third-party review of the events that led up to the shooting.
"It's going to look at a whole bunch of different facets. Looking at some of those that have been done, these are inclusive reports," Throne said.
Administrators say they are taking action, but many like Bison aren't convinced.
"This tragedy has shown me the loss of trust," he said.
Due to investigations and civil suits, school administrators have been tight-lipped about what took place inside the school, but parents want open communication, especially when it comes to future threats.
"In order for us parents to feel comfortable and trust, we need full transparency," Fletcher said. "We need the details, we need to know what we're dealing with.."
In addition to the security measures, the district said they'll also have a licensed trauma counselor in every building and therapy dogs for students who need extra emotional support.
