GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – As students across the state prepare to head back to school Monday, one Green Bay school is welcoming its students back with enhanced safety protocols after the school fell victim to numerous online threats in the weeks leading up to winter break.

The threats targeting Preble High School began on Dec. 12, when Green Bay police and school officials were made aware of a concerning Instagram post regarding a possible threat of an active shooter at the high school.

After further investigation, the two students who allegedly posted the threat were taken to the Brown County Secure Detention and received charges of Terrorist Threats.

Less than two days later, a second online threat targeting Preble High School was posted to Snapchat, a popular social media app.

Green Bay police quickly got involved and after further investigation, a 14-year-old teen boy was identified as the one who made the threatening post and subsequently taken into custody. There is no word yet if the minor will receive any charges related to the online threat.

Shortly after, on Dec. 15, a third online threat was made on Instagram towards Preble High School prompting district officials to move in-person instruction to an asynchronous learning day for the remainder of that week.

Like all the others, an investigation into the third online threat was conducted by Green Bay police and resulted in a 16-year-old teen boy confessing to having posted the threat. The teen was taken into custody and received charges of Terroristic Threats.

After receiving all three school threats in less than one week, concerned district officials decided to implement new changes to help keep students safe when they returned that following Monday, Dec. 20, and which would last until students left for winter break on Dec. 23.

The changes included restricting access to the building, prohibiting backpacks from entering the school, and requiring ID verification for every student entering the building.

It was initially uncertain if these protocols would stay in effect once classes resumed Jan. 3, however, on Jan. 2, school officials confirmed in a letter to families that they have decided to remove and alter some of the protocols established before the break, while also adding a couple more.

Below you can find the full breakdown of which protocols will remain the same, which have been altered, and which ones have been newly implemented.

Preble High School safety protocols that will remain in place starting Monday, Jan. 3 are as follow:

  • Students entering the school will have their IDs checked by monitors and administration
    • Students must have IDs in their hands and visible as they enter the building at any time during the day.
    • Students that cannot find their IDs, will be checked in by administration and security at the Main Entrance.
    • Students without IDs will be able to get a new ID at the security desk. 
  • Students will continue to enter either at the Main Entrance or Fieldhouse Entrance. All other doors are locked throughout the day including classrooms during instruction.
    • If a door is breached, i.e., a student(s) lets in any other individual through a door that is not either of the two entrance locations, then all individuals that are involved will be subject to search and other disciplinary actions. 

The Preble High School safety protocol that has been altered and will resume Monday, Jan. 3 is as follows:

  • Students will be permitted to use a backpack at school, but are encouraged to use their locker, in order to keep only essential learning materials in their backpack as they navigate through the school day.

Preble High School has added the following safety protocols that will take effect on Wednesday, Jan. 5:

  • Students will not be able to wear winter jackets or blankets during the school day.
    • Students are encouraged to wear fleece or layers of clothing since rooms range in temperature.
    • If there is a question on what is considered a winter jacket or outerwear, administration will make the final determination.
  • Outerwear and blankets will need to be stored in the student’s locker for the day.

“These measures are for the safety and security of the students and staff of Preble High School. We hope that you are enjoying your last day of break and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” writes Preble High School Administrative Team.