Whitefish schools remain closed Friday following threats

Whitefish schools will remain closed Friday following threats Wednesday evening to several school districts in the Flathead Valley.

All school districts in Flathead County will be closed tomorrow after also canceling school Thursday because of the electronic threats made to multiple schools in the county.

“The safety and best interests of our students and staff remain our top priority,” said Superintendent Heather Davis Schmidt in a release. “We will continue to monitor the situation and update communities as we have more information.”

Local Law enforcement and the FBI feel they have a credible threat, and they are working diligently to apprehend the suspect, according to the Whitefish School District.

The threats originated in the Columbia Falls School District, which announced Wednesday evening that it was canceling school after text or email threats were made, according to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.

The threats also extended to Whitefish and Kalispell schools.

“As a precautionary measure, several area schools canceled classes today,” Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said in a press release Thursday morning. “Investigators from all the involved agencies have worked throughout the night, and are continuing to follow up on leads and have identified and are speaking with persons of interest.”

The closures are impacting planned extra-curricular activities and athletics during Whitefish’s homecoming week. Thursday night’s volleyball games against Columbia Falls was canceled.

Any extra-curricular activities or athletic events that need to leave campus prior to 10 a.m. on Friday are also canceled.

If the situation changes, Davis Schmidt said, and the district is able to consider having extra-curricular activities and athletics that occur after school on Friday or that occur on Saturday, a decision will be made by 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 15.

Whitefish Police and the Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone with any information to contact the Flathead County Detective Division at 758-5610.