After a man tried to gain entry into Plattin Primary School on Tuesday morning (March 7), the building was locked down, Jefferson R-7 Superintendent Clint Johnston said.
The man was denied access to the school, 2400 R-7 School Road south of Festus, and students at the school were never in danger, Johnston said, but the incident led staff to implement district security procedures.
In a letter to parents issued March 7, Johnston said a secretary questioned the person at a locked door and “decided that it was in our best interest to deny him access to the building.”
“The individual did willingly walk away from the building, but it raised concern for us to place the lockdown and immediately call 911,” the letter states.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded and questioned the man.
“The individual was seeking help for issues involving health matters,” Johnston said March 9.
He said authorities took the man to get medical help after questioning him.
The lockdown was relatively short, the superintendent said, with a “hard” lockdown when no one came in or out of the building for 15 minutes and a “soft” lockdown for a while longer when children were kept inside during recess periods.
“We are very proud of the way staff and students handled this situation and responded in accordance with our practiced drills,” Johnson said in his letter to parents.
The Highway Patrol did not return a call for comment as of today (March 10).