Decatur Public Schools

110 Cedar Street

Decatur, Michigan 49045

Phone: 269-423-6800 Patrick Creagan, EdD

Fax: 269-423-6849 Superintendent

December 12, 2023

Dear Raider Families:

At noon today I received a call from the Decatur Police Department regarding a bomb threat for
Decatur Public Schools. We immediately issued an evacuation of all students and staff to the
VFW. The Decatur Police Department, Michigan State Police, Van Buren County Sheriff’s
Office, and the Decatur-Hamilton Fire Department immediately responded to this emergency. Our
priority was to make sure all students and staff were safely off campus. Once this was
accomplished, I made the call to our families regarding the bomb threat. Therefore, I notified
everyone as soon as I was sure our students and staff were safe. Later this afternoon, a thorough
search of the school was completed by the Canine Unit of the Michigan State Police. In
conclusion, there was no bomb located and the building is safe to hold classes tomorrow. The
authorities will continue to investigate where the threat originated. Preliminary results showed
that the threat didn’t come locally and may have been created overseas.

I’m very proud of the students and staff who reacted quickly as they evacuated to the VFW.
Keeping calm and exercising good judgement is key to creating a safe evacuation. The quick
response of the Decatur Police Department, Chief VanDerWoude, the Decatur-Hamilton Fire
Department, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and the Michigan State Police was vital in
assuring the safety of all students and staff. We greatly appreciate their efforts as they reacted
quickly to a very serious situation. Thanks also to the Van Buren ISD for providing support at the
VFW and to the bus drivers for getting the students home safely. A special thanks goes out to the
VFW for being ready to house our students and staff. Thanks also to all the parents and family
members who worked with us during the student pick up process. Lastly, a special thanks to Mr.
McLouth, Mrs. Osborn, Officer Frank, and Mr. Botti for providing exceptional leadership during
this process.

Tomorrow we will have a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team available for all
students and staff. This team is trained in working with those who are feeling overwhelmed by
the incidence that occurred today.

Though this was a situation no school wants to be part of, I’m proud that we have plans in place
for such emergencies. Everyone did their job as expected and I’m glad that we acted immediately
to assure the safety of everyone. We will continue to monitor all safety protocols and will keep
the safety of our students and staff our priority. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patrick Creagan
Superintendent

The Decatur Public Schools is in compliance with all state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in admissions or employment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, disability, pregnancy, sexual
orientation, age, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic. Complaints under Title IX, Section 504, the American with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment
Act are to be directed to Title IX Director, 110 Cedar Street, Decatur, MI 49045, (269) 423-6951.