To my daughter's school

Two days ago this happened...

"CELINA –– A parent in Celina ISD has been charged with making terroristic threats at his child's school. Police say Ron Miller, who was unarmed, told Celina Elementary School staffers that he had a gun to test the school's security response on Wednesday morning. 

"Basically, he told one of the greeters, 'I am a gunman. My target is inside of the building. I'm going in the building. You stop me,'" said Celina Independent School District superintendent Donny O'Dell. "They recognized, at that point, that he did not have a weapon and they were able to go ahead and tell him to leave." 

The principal at the school called administrators, who then called police. O'Dell said they did not use 911, but called the department's non-emergency number. The superintendent said it was because Miller, 44, was "immediately" recognized as a parent and volunteer."

It happened in the morning at around 7:50.  I was dropping my daughter off at 8 and there was no indication whatsoever that anything had gone awry.  It wasn't until yesterday, when a friend posted the police report to facebook that I even knew this had happened.  

The man who did this also has a child at the Elementary school and by all accounts is a nice guy who's good intentions were played out in a horrible, stupid way.  I am confident that my child was not in any danger at school that morning.  However, the above report that was being shared online does not immediately give that impression.

Dear CES,

First I want to say that I know you have my child's best interests at heart and in most ways I do still very much trust you.  I do however feel that some of that trust has been badly tarnished by your lack of communication with us, the parents, when regarding the recent "terroristic threat".  I am certain that the event has snowballed into something of much greater proportions than once it began.  But you have allowed this to happen.  Imagine the disbelief that many of us felt upon finding this alleged event in our news feed, an entire day later.  Many of us were there at the above specified time, dropping off our children, none the wiser to what may or may not have been happening inside.  Here we are two and a half days later and the only thing that has been provided by you is a short letter uploaded to your website.  This letter is pixelated and hard to read, very impersonal, and unfortunately past due.  Every week my child comes home with enough communication from school to clog an industrial shredder, yet on this issue you remained silent.   I in no way want to condemn you, but you can not shut us out every time something complicated and unusual happens. I didn't even need details.  An email blast, I've heard of an automated phone system you sometimes use, standard mail, or even a simple note in our children's take home folders would have all been excellent ideas.  "There was an indecent at school today.  Nobody was in any danger.  We handled it.  We'll provide more details later."  This would have been plenty.  I would have been curiously awaiting further communications, but I would have been in the loop and not as surprised the next morning.  Also, you may have been able to spare yourself the media attention.

This is my first year having a child in school.  I have bragged to friends about how involved parents are and how great it is.  Let's please keep that going.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Taylor