Lockdown means chaos in Marysville high school

MARYSVILLE — It was hours of chaos: Students burned a teddy bear at the back of a math classroom. Classmates taped others’ hands together. No one seemed interested in paying attention to their new teacher.

“The second the lockdown started, it was chaos,” said Tyler Salwierz, a Marysville-Pilchuck High School sophomore.

Last week, he was among 2,500 students who spent five hours locked down in Snohomish County’s largest high school after police surrounded a nearby home where a bank robbery suspect was hiding.

Teachers followed procedure, closing blinds, turning off lights and moving students to far corners of the room. Students had to stay put, except when security officers escorted individuals to the bathroom. Filling the time — almost an entire school day — was an unexpected challenge.

Some teachers continued with as many days lessons as they had prepared. Other classes were able to watch movies. Some students spent the time instant messaging friends stuck in other classes and parents.

School officials met Monday to discuss the scramble to fill time.

While district officials said the bedlam Salwierz watched in his classroom was an isolated case, they agree that there needs to be a better way to spend time safely during any future lockdowns.

The issue is something districts across the state are evaluating.

“Is there one perfect way to do this kind of stuff? No,” said Craig Apperson, director of the Washington State School Safety Center. “Every emergency has a different kind of logistics. If the incident takes several hours to resolve itself, there’s not much they can do about it.”

Nationwide, some schools are looking for ways in which more-typical school activity can resume during lockdowns, with campus security tightened and no one allowed to enter or leave.

School districts must work with local law enforcement, fire and emergency responders to determine the best scenario for each building, he said.

“This is really about people understanding each other’s perspectives and what they’re going to do,” Apperson said.

On Monday, Marysville officials talked about how the district office can help with communication during a lockdown.

The school’s staff also is looking into what can be done to help teachers in lockdown when they are going to be with the students for several hours, Miller said.

While elementary school teachers can follow their day-long lesson plans with their students, middle and high school teachers are used to revolving groups of students hearing a single lesson.

“Secondary teachers think in 55-minute increments,” Miller said. “The secondary level is truly a challenge. When you are alone in your classroom and it’s just you and your kids for five hours, that’s a huge challenge.”

The school’s first obligation is to look out for students’ safety and security, including turning out lights and moving students to a safe part of the room, Principal Tracy Suchan Toothaker said.

“We have had conversations about ‘Keep teaching, keep teaching,’ ” she said. “For high school populations, you can deal with that for so long. It’s building a teacher’s bag of tricks.

“It is a dilemma for us. I think it’s one every principal dreads.”

In Salwierz’s math class, “There was a brand new teacher in the room on her first day on the job,” said Gail Miller, assistant superintendent. “She didn’t know the kids … The students took full advantage of it.”

The school will investigate, including the burning of the teddy bear, a clear safety hazard. “They shouldn’t have a lighter in the school to begin with,” she said. Discipline could follow.

Part of the challenge is not knowing whether a lockdown will last a few minutes or several hours. In Wednesday’s lockdown, there were initial reports that two people were in a car the suspect drove off in. The possibility that a second suspect was still at large led to the decision to keep the high school in emergency lockdown.

“We would have been irresponsible to let the students roam around the campus” until it was confirmed there was only one suspect, Miller said.

Salwierz looks at it as a lost day.

“They have to have a better plan,” he said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

National Weather Service issues red flag warning for slopes of Cascades

High temperatures, low humidity and winds are combining for critical fire weather conditions, either “imminent or occurring now.”

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Lynnwood
Lynnwood child, 4, accidentally shoots mother, father arrested

The child retrieved a loaded firearm from his father, who was asleep at the time, South County deputies said.

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s executive order indefinitely halting refugee resettlement in the U.S. rally on the steps of the federal courthouse in Seattle on Feb. 25, 2025, after a judge issued a ruling blocking the president’s order. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
Refugees from travel ban countries must be allowed to enter US, Seattle judge rules

It’s the latest twist in the legal battle over President Trump’s attempt to block refugee resettlement.

Position 1 candidates prioritize public safety, differ on tax increases

Derica Escamilla is looking to retain her seat against challengers Dio Boucsieguez and Brandon Kimmel.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.