Parents and Guardians of students at CMS and CHS, please be aware that we dismissed at 11:35 a.m.: your students safety is our number one priority! The Chillicothe High School and Middle School was dismissed early to allow the Chillicothe Police Department and CCSD Staff to perform a security sweep of the complex. Please know that your child is safe and there is no threat. The safety of your child(ren) is ALWAYS our priority; and the decision to release early has been made in tandem with the Chillicothe Police Department. If you normally pick up your son or daughter, please wait until 12:10 p.m. to allow the buses to clear. If you have any questions please contact 740-775-4250 our district office.
On October 16, 2018 at approximately 9:30am, Chillicothe City School District staff members were notified that a gun was possibly on premises. Staff immediately placed both the High and Middle Schools into a lockdown. The Chillicothe Police Department was contacted and a weapon was found in a student’s locker. Two juvenile students were subsequently arrested for possessing a weapon on school grounds, a felony of the 5t?h? degree. The two juveniles were transported by police to the Juvenile Detention Center; and they will appear in Ross County Juvenile Court at 9:00am tomorrow to answer the charges. Two other juvenile students are facing administrative discipline for their roles in this incident. As a precaution, and to ensure the middle/high school was safe for students to return, the schools dismissed early and a sweep of the building was conducted. No additional weapons were found during the sweep. The Chillicothe Police Department and the Chillicothe City School District will continue to collaborate to further investigate this incident. The police department and school district are committed to keeping our schools safe.