BOZEMAN - Parents in Bozeman say there’s nothing scarier than the thought of something happening to their child at school.
One parent said receiving the notification of a threat just hours before their kids were supposed to be sitting in the classroom was an eye-opener.
“We always give our kids a hug and a kiss every morning, because you never know what’s going to happen anymore,” said Sherri Pearson, who brought her two kids and their friend to the Bozeman Public Library to make the best of an unsettling situation.
“I was going to work today, but now we’re at the library,” said Pearson.
She said this is the first time she’s experienced the school district closing due to a threat.
“Hopefully the last time,” said Pearson. “I’m just glad Bozeman took it seriously enough to not have our kids go to school.”
And she’s not alone.
Ashley Antonucci also took her three kids to the library after news of the closure.
She says she was worried when she received the phone call and an email from the school district informing parents of the threat.
“Your gut reaction as a parent is to worry and be fearful at first,” said Antonucci.
“It’s definitely something that’s a real reality,” said Pearson.
A reality that both Pearson and Antonucci’s kids are aware of.
“When I heard that something was threatening the school, it scared me,” said Antonucci’s son, Rajln.
Pearson’s daughter, Amelia said she felt the same way.
“I’m scared of what’s going to happen when we go to school tomorrow,” said Amelia.
Antonucci says she’s doing her best to turn the situation into a learning experience for her kids.
“I was just telling them the concept of being safe rather than sorry because the world we live in is not always sunshine and rainbows,” said Antonucci. “We have to take precautions, and having confidence in the administration helps a lot. I think they made the right choice.”
