Andrew Potteiger, Superintendent

Robert Farina, Assistant to the Superintendent

Mandi Kercher, Director of Pupil Services

Matthew Dziunycz, High School Principal

William Ostroski, High School Assistant Principal

TBA, Intermediate/Middle School Principal

Michelle Ward, Intermediate/Middle School Assistant Principal

Stephanie Kelly, Elementary School Principal

Adam Beacker, School Counselor

Amy Yusella, School Counselor

Heather Kulp, School Counselor

Danette Seidel, School Counselor

Douglas Felegy, School Counselor

Jennifer Fodor, School Nurse

Olivia Lambert, School Psychologist

Michael Furman, School Psychologist

Mary Kate Mannino, Social Services Coordinator

Dean Molitoris, Building and Grounds Supervisor

Purpose

The purpose of the Brandywine Heights Area School District Threat Assessment Team is to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate potential threats of violence within the school community. This approach is supported by research and endorsed by prominent agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service, highlighting its importance in a comprehensive school safety program as enacted in Act 18 of 2019.

Goal

The goal of the team is to proactively mitigate violence to resolve conflicts by identifying and intervening with behaviors that may indicate a threat to the safety of students, staff, school facilities, and the broader community. 

Objectives

The objectives of the Brandywine Heights Area School District Threat Assessment team include:  

1. Identifying Threatening Behaviors: Assess and identify students whose behavior may indicate a threat to the safety of themselves, other students, school employees, school facilities, or the community.

2. Intervene Proactively: Implement appropriate interventions to address and mitigate potential threats before they result in violence or harm.

3. Resolve Underlying Conflicts: Address and resolve conflicts that underlie threatening behavior to prevent escalation.

4. Ensure Compliance with Legal Requirements: Follow the notification and referral procedures established by law when a preliminary determination is made that a student's behavior may indicate a threat.

5. Enhance Overall School Safety: Integrate threat assessment practices into the school district’s comprehensive safety program to create a safer and more secure educational environment.

6. Collaborate with Authorities: Work in conjunction with local authorities and adhere to recommendations from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, as well as best practices endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service.

Threat Assessment Team Public Information

US Department of Education-Protecting Student Privacy-FAQs

What process does the district follow when receiving information regarding a potential immediate threat?

• Threats Reported: Incidents are promptly reported to building or district administration.

• Immediate Police Notification: Law enforcement is notified immediately by building or district administration.

• Immediate Central Office Administration Notification: Central Office administrators are notified

  immediately by building or district administration.

• Police Response:  Law enforcement conducts a thorough investigation. 

• Internal School-Based Investigation: School and district administrators conduct an internal investigation.

• Ongoing Updates: Law enforcement provides updates to district administrators  as the investigation continues.

• Credibility Assessment: The threat is assessed for credibility, determining whether it is credible or non-credible.

• Communication Release: Once the credibility of the threat is confirmed or denied, the district releases parent and staff communication. 

What does credible threat or non-credible threat mean?

A threat is a communication or behavior that indicates an individual poses a danger to the safety of school staff or students through acts of violence or other behavior that would cause harm to self or others. The threat may be expressed/ communicated behaviorally, orally, visually, in writing, electronically, or through any other means. 

A credible threat means that a threat was made with the intent and the apparent ability to carry out the threat. 

After an investigation, law enforcement deems a threat non-credible when through the course of the investigation, they find no legitimacy of the threat.

A social media threat refers to a message, statement, or post that is intended to evoke fear to an individual or group.  We become aware that information is shared on social media and in many cases that information is inaccurate or is missing critical details.  Although principals are limited in what they can share, we encourage our families to reach out to principals with questions instead of posting or reading social media posts by someone who is not a school district official responsible for communicating information.

Why doesn’t the district give specific information on the threat or the contents of the investigation in district communications or press releases?

The district must uphold the integrity of the investigation by refraining from communicating inaccurate information. 

Why isn’t the student involved in the threat named? Since this is a minor, we do not have permission to release the student’s name. This would be a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) violation. Under FERPA, all students have a right to privacy.  There are very clear laws and guidelines regarding what information schools may share internally with faculty and staff, what information may be shared with law enforcement or any outside agencies, and what information may be shared with the community.

Why doesn’t the district communicate the consequences for students who make threats?

Since this is a minor, we do not have permission to release student discipline. This would be a violation of  the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

What is Brandywine's threat assessment process?

Threat assessment is a fact-based process for the assessment of and intervention with students whose behaviors may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, school facilities, the community, or others.

Brandywine has established a district-wide threat assessment program to ensure timely school-based threat assessment management in accordance with the Public School Codes of 1949, Article XII-E, Threat Assessment (Act 18 of 2019). The Brandywine Heights Area School District will use the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) as the Threat Assessment Model in all situations where a threat assessment is deemed necessary. 

Threat Assessment – A problem solving approach to violence prevention that involves both assessment and intervention with individuals who have threatened violence toward others.

Threat Assessment Team – A multidisciplinary unit within an individual school building or district that will direct, manage, and document the school entity’s threat assessment process in conjunction with one of the district school psychologists. The team is responsible for:

• Reporting and Identifying Threats

• Assessing and Classifying Threats

• Responding to and Managing Threats