The Fortuna Union High School District (FUHSD) recently received a threat on the Fortuna High School campus. Thanks to a coordinated effort by staff, administration and law enforcement the situation was mitigated. The coordination created a successful outcome.

The threat began when FHS Students in E building received an Air Drop image with a message that read, “Gonna light up the school at 12:10.” The message was quickly spread via Snapchat.

Thankfully, two students instantly reported the image to their teacher. The teacher quickly notified administration about the image. As the FHS administration responded to the threat, law enforcement was notified. Within minutes, law enforcement was on scene and the search started. The call for assistance went out over the scanner. Within fifteen minutes, law enforcement from various agencies arrived ready to assist.

I would like to personally thank Principal Clint Duey and his staff as they reacted appropriately, locked down campus and made student and staff safety the priority. The countless hours of teaching and training were evident as they navigated this situation. FHS staff and students responded in the way we have practiced and taught. It was a long few hours for students and staff to have to stay in their classrooms and buildings while enduring a stressful situation.

In light of this, we provided many counselors for students and staff to help cope with the anxieties. Our Wellness Center, as always, was open to provide services.

FUHSD would like to thank the multi-department law enforcement support the FHS campus received. Officers responded from Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Ferndale PD, Rio Dell PD, Cal Fire, Eureka PD, California Highway Patrol, and Humboldt County Drug Task Force. We, especially, would like to thank Fortuna PD for taking the lead on scene and the investigation. Law enforcement and the school district remain committed to the safety of our students and staff.

The investigation has led to an arrest and is ongoing. Anyone with any information about the case, please call the Fortuna Police Department at 707-725-7550.

Student and staff safety remains the top priority in the district. The district is implementing a new system of communication and alerts to improve the overall communication with our staff, families and education partners. With the new software implementation, we have run into some challenges. The new system allows us to communicate and send alerts via text and other mediums. Please ensure the information on your student’s demographics pages within our Aeries system is correct and accurate.

The Fortuna Union High School District is proud to serve the greater Fortuna area with outstanding programs at all of our sites, including Fortuna High, Academy of the Redwoods and East High. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know. Our district office is located at 735 13^th Street in Fortuna. We can be reached by phone at 707-725-4462 or by email to district@fuhsdistrict.net.

The Fortuna Union High School District’s regularly scheduled board meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month. The public meetings are held in the Fortuna High School Library at 6:00 p.m. and located at 379 12^th Street in Fortuna. The current board members are President Seth McGrath, Vice President Jeana McClendon, Clerk Carla Diaz, Kendra Dwelley-Guimaraes and Anita Gage.

Sincerely,

Glen Senestraro, Superintendent

Fortuna Union High School District

Fortuna

As Published in the Ferndale Enterprise Newspaper