N-O-W has lock-in: Sparta incident prompts school’s security measure

By SARAH PARKER | County Line Editor

Taking precautions after a school-safety incident in Sparta, the Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District had a “lock-in” Tuesday.

Sparta High School went into a secure perimeter and classroom hold Monday afternoon after administrators had received what they considered a credible concern regarding a handgun possibly in the possession of a missing student.

The Sparta Area School District canceled classes Tuesday. Like N-O-W, the Cashton School District also had a lock-in.

Police later determined that the student did not have the missing handgun, and Sparta Schools resumed classes Wednesday.

In contrast with a “lockdown,” a lock-in refers to a possible threat outside of the school, rather than a threat within the school. At N-O-W, students and staff were not locked into their classrooms, as they would be in a lockdown, but no one was allowed outside.

N-O-W resumed its regular practices Wednesday, with children being allowed to go to recess.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office worked with the N-O-W School District, filling in administration on the details of the incident, Burhop said.

Fears of school shootings were reported in eight Wisconsin schools this week, and shootings occurred at Waukesha South and Oshkosh West, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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