Governor Mifflin School District officials and local law enforcement met with parents and community members Thursday night to review two recent safety incidents, answer questions about the district’s response and discuss changes being made to security procedures.
The Community Partnership Meeting was held at the Governor Mifflin Intermediate School cafeteria following an Aug. 28 incident at a high school football game and a separate Sept. 1 incident involving two juveniles found on district property with an airsoft gun and kitchen knives.
Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hess was joined by Berks County District Attorney John Adams, Shillington Police Chief Brett Hivner, Cumru Township Police Chief Madison Winchester and Jeff Reichart, the district’s director of Safe Schools and School Culture.
Hess opened the meeting by asking those in attendance to keep the discussion respectful and focused on facts, describing the gathering as an opportunity to understand what happened, how the district and police responded and what officials had learned from the incidents.
“It’s an opportunity to learn about the facts that we can share at this time,” Hess said. “It’s an opportunity to develop an understanding around the response procedures of the district and our local police departments, and an opportunity to learn about the supports we’ve put in place and the changes we’ve made from what we’ve learned.”
Officials review Aug. 28 football game response
The first incident occurred during the Governor Mifflin High School football game against Wilson on Friday, Aug. 28. Reichart said the game had progressed without major problems until the third quarter, when officials received a report of a fight behind the scoreboard. As police and school officials responded to the fight, students were seen running from the area and yelling that someone had a gun.
Officers initially investigated whether the weapon report was connected to the fight. After determining the individuals involved in the fight did not have a weapon, officials continued hearing reports from students moving toward the visitors’ side of the stadium that someone had a gun.
With officers unable to immediately determine whether the reports were connected, Reichart said officials decided to end the game and evacuate the stadium out of an abundance of caution.
An officer was sent to the press box to help the announcer provide instructions for a calm evacuation, while administrators established a reunification area at the Governor Mifflin Athletic Community Center for students who had been dropped off at the game and did not have a parent with them.
Officials acknowledged Thursday that the stadium’s public address system did not adequately carry the evacuation announcement throughout the entire facility.
During the response, officials received information identifying a student who was reportedly carrying the weapon. Reichart said the student cooperated with police and was searched, but no weapon was found.
Police continued evacuating the stadium and conducted two searches of the facility after it was cleared. Officers from multiple departments responded after an all-call was issued to law enforcement agencies across the county. No weapon was found.
Adams said Thursday that Shillington Police remains the lead investigative agency.
“At this point, we have had no evidence that we have discovered that gives us any credible evidence that a gun was actually at the stadium,” Adams said.
He encouraged anyone with firsthand information to contact police rather than post claims to social media.
“It does not help us if you post something on social media,” Adams said. “That’s not how we conduct a criminal investigation.”
Police said the account provided by the person initially connected to the weapon report changed during follow-up questioning. Officials said investigators continue to pursue any leads that are provided.
The district also clarified during the meeting that the fight and reported weapon were separate incidents occurring around the same time. Hess said the fight involved a former Governor Mifflin student and a current student.
Sept. 1 incident led to juvenile charges
Officials also reviewed the Sept. 1 incident at the Governor Mifflin Intermediate School and Mifflin Park Elementary School campus.
According to Reichart, staff members noticed two juveniles near the district’s transportation area during morning arrival and alerted a school police officer, who was already in the area with a Cumru Township police officer.
The officers approached and searched the juveniles, finding an airsoft pistol and two kitchen knives, Reichart said. The juveniles were taken into custody and later released to their parents.
Adams said both juveniles have been charged with possession of a weapon on school property and their cases will proceed through juvenile court.
“They will be prosecuted as any other teenager, child would be prosecuted in this type of situation in our county,” Adams said.
Because the defendants are juveniles, officials said their names will not be released.
Hess also addressed a question about whether the Aug. 28 and Sept. 1 incidents were connected. She said law enforcement and the district had found no indication of a relationship between them and described them as two isolated incidents.
Parents question why schools were not locked down
Several of the questions Thursday focused specifically on the district’s handling of the Sept. 1 incident.
One parent asked why the nearby schools were not placed into lockdown after the two juveniles were discovered on campus, questioning whether officials could immediately know that no other individuals were involved.
Hess said the two juveniles were encountered by police almost immediately and taken into custody. Officials said information gathered by officers during their interaction with the juveniles gave them no indication that there was an additional threat.
“Certainly, we would have locked down if we felt there was another issue,” she told the audience.
District officials repeatedly emphasized that their response depends on the circumstances of each individual event rather than automatically triggering the same action for every safety concern.
Hess said emergency communication also requires balancing the desire to quickly inform families with the need to verify information and avoid interfering with police investigations.
She said the district first prioritizes safety, followed by communication with those directly impacted by an incident. Information may also be limited by an active police investigation and student privacy requirements.
Evacuation became a major topic
Some of the most pointed questions Thursday centered on how the football stadium was evacuated.
One parent told officials they had already left the stadium when their child, who was participating in the band, called to say the stadium was being evacuated. The parent said they were then able to walk back through the stadium while others were leaving without being stopped.
The parent questioned who was responsible for securing gates, directing people out and preventing others from entering during an evacuation.
Officials acknowledged the concern but said law enforcement and administrators were simultaneously trying to investigate a potential weapon, evacuate more than 4,000 people and establish a reunification area.
Hess said the district could not have enough personnel to individually direct every person during a large-scale evacuation.
Officials also acknowledged that the stadium’s public address system complicated the response because announcements could not be heard by everyone in attendance. The district plans to discuss potential improvements to the system with the school board.
Another community member said they arrived around halftime and found no one stationed at a gate, allowing them to enter without having a ticket checked.
District officials explained that ticket sellers are normally dismissed at halftime and that administrators, school police officers and other personnel were circulating through the stadium. Some personnel stationed near entrances had also been pulled away to respond to other incidents shortly before the fight occurred.
Officials said the district had been operating without its usual event security vendor after the company was acquired shortly before football season. A replacement vendor has been identified and is expected to go before the school board for approval Sept. 14.
Security changes planned for football games
The district has already made several changes following the Aug. 28 game.
Hess said future games will use two entrances and three exits, with an armed security officer assigned to each entrance. The district will also enforce restrictions prohibiting backpacks, while allowing only small purses and clear bags.
Face masks will also be prohibited.
The district additionally decided not to fire the stadium cannon following Governor Mifflin touchdowns for the time being, with Hess saying officials were concerned the sound could be traumatic for people affected by the evacuation and weapon report.
Officials said they have also walked through the stadium following the incident to identify weaknesses in the emergency plan and intend to develop a more comprehensive stadium-specific plan.
One attendee asked whether metal detectors should be installed at the stadium. Officials said the district does not currently use them and cited the staffing and logistical requirements involved, but did not rule out considering the technology in the future.
Another parent asked whether students should be required to attend football games with an adult.
District officials said the idea had been discussed but raised concerns that such a rule could exclude students who do not have an adult available to accompany them. Officials also noted that requiring an adult to enter with a student would not necessarily guarantee that the adult remained with that student throughout the game.
The district did confirm that students or other attendees who cause serious problems at games can be banned from returning. Hess said disciplinary action following the Aug. 28 fight included banning those involved from future games.
Reunification procedures under review
The district also heard concerns about how students were reunited with families after the stadium evacuation.
One attendee said they had not known a reunification center had been established at the GMACC until well after the incident. Another questioned how parents were supposed to know where to go when some band students returned to the high school and band room rather than the designated reunification location.
Hess said the district’s reunification training has traditionally focused on evacuating one or more schools during the school day, which could involve as many as 2,000 students. The football game presented a different situation involving a large public crowd and about 150 students who needed assistance after being dropped off at the game.
“After we debriefed and we talked about the reunification there, that was one of the things that we are moving forward, we are going to make sure that we do better,” Hess said.
The district also plans to review emergency procedures involving students traveling to away sporting events. Athletic officials said coaches, band directors and cheerleading staff routinely receive information from host schools about stadium layouts, prohibited items and other procedures before away games.
Parents seek more communication
Communication emerged as another recurring concern.
One parent questioned whether the district could provide more frequent updates during an unfolding situation, even if an update simply tells families that there is no new information.
Hess said the district routinely reviews its response following emergencies and agreed communication practices would be part of that review.
“I try to be very intentional and measured in my communication,” Hess said, adding that repeated emergency messages can also increase anxiety for families. “But I will definitely take that into consideration.”
Hess also explained why some emergency notifications are delivered through automated robocalls rather than her own recorded voice. Approximately 10% of district families speak a language other than English, she said, with 11 languages represented across the district. The automated system allows messages to be translated into a family’s home language.
The district declined requests during the meeting to disclose exactly how many police officers or security personnel were assigned to the Aug. 28 game, saying publicly releasing staffing numbers could create security concerns.
School police staffing also questioned
Another attendee encouraged the district to increase the number of school police officers so that each individual school building could have a dedicated officer.
Officials said Governor Mifflin currently has four school safety personnel, including Reichart.
One officer is assigned to the Brecknock Elementary campus, another covers the campus containing Mifflin Park Elementary, Cumru Elementary and Governor Mifflin Intermediate School, and another covers the high school and GMACC. Reichart divides his duties between district administration and the middle school.
Hess said the district has used Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant funding in previous years for security improvements, including additional school police officers and physical security measures.
Winchester emphasized the working relationship between the school district and Cumru Township Police, noting that township officers frequently assist during arrival and dismissal and at school events.
He said the district and surrounding police departments view school safety as a shared responsibility even though Governor Mifflin facilities span several municipalities.
Mental health resources available
A community member who works in youth violence prevention asked whether students affected by the recent events would have access to mental health support.
District officials said counselors were available following the football game and have continued checking on students who were directly involved in the event, including members of the football team, cheerleading squad and band.
The district also hired a supervisor of behavioral mental health this school year to coordinate social workers and other mental health resources across the district.
District says protocols worked but lessons remain
Throughout the meeting, officials defended the overall response to both incidents while acknowledging specific areas where changes are needed.
“The protocols and procedures that we trained for as administrators worked,” Hess said early in the meeting. “They worked on Friday night, and they worked on Tuesday.”
Hess said the district cannot control every action or statement made during an emergency but can control its response.
At the same time, concerns raised by families led to discussion of improvements to stadium communications, reunification procedures, gate security, volunteer training and the district’s emergency planning.
One community member told the panel that the focus should now shift from what could have been done differently to what parents, school officials, police and students can do going forward. The attendee encouraged parents to have conversations with their children about avoiding fights, reporting concerns and making safe decisions during emergencies.
Officials similarly urged families to report firsthand information directly to police rather than rely on or contribute to rumors spreading through social media.
Hivner said the Aug. 28 investigation remains active, even if it ultimately does not produce enough evidence for criminal charges.
The district concluded the meeting by promoting its previously planned Parent & Family Engagement Series, which will include monthly discussions throughout the school year on topics such as attendance and school avoidance, bullying and conflict, online safety, vaping and designer drugs, gifted education, school social workers and summer safety.
The next session is scheduled for Sept. 23 at the Governor Mifflin Intermediate School cafeteria.