Albany high school cancels classes after threat

A comment made by a teenager to a student of Saint Mary’s College High School in Albany prompted school officials to cancel classes Tuesday, the school’s principal said.

School officials received word of the comment, which the student felt was a threat, at about 6:30 a.m., principal Peter Imperial said.

The school is located at 1294 Albina Ave.

In a letter to students and parents Imperial said:

“We canceled school today because early this morning we received word of a threat to student safety coming from a teenager who is not a Saint Mary’s student or otherwise connected to our school community.”

Imperial said police have since told him that the threat was not real after they interviewed the teen who made the threat.

The principal’s letter continued:

“We know that today’s interruption was annoying and perhaps unsettling. It was also necessary. We made this decision with incomplete information — the police have informed us subsequently that the threat was not a real one — but our commitment to the safety of our students is our highest priority.”

Teachers and staff are now using Tuesday as a work day. Athletic teams will have practice Tuesday afternoon and co-curricular activities will also be held in the afternoon, according to Imperial.

The basketball playoff game versus Albany High School will be played Tuesday evening.

The cast of the spring musical should check with their director to see whether rehearsal will also be held Tuesday evening.

 

Saint Mary’s College High School has 630 students and 80 staff members.