Dr. Brian W. Scriven, superintendent of the Cheltenham School District, issued a notice to the community today regarding a toy gun found on Cheltenham High School’s campus this morning.

According to the notice, a teacher spotted what appeared to be a gun inside a student’s vehicle while it was parked in the high school’s parking lot. Cheltenham police responded and confirmed that the item was a plastic toy gun (pictured below).

The student explained that the toy was part of a Halloween costume and that they were in the process of returning it to its owner, Dr. Scriven said.

“According to Board Policy 218.2, the Board prohibits students from possessing and bringing weapons  into any District buildings, onto school property, to any school-sponsored activity, and/or onto any school vehicle providing transportation to school or a school-sponsored activity or while the student is coming to or from school,” Dr. Scriven wrote. “Even though this situation turned out to be a false alarm, we encourage families to remind students that even toy or replica weapons can cause alarm and should not be brought to school grounds.”

The notice concludes:

We understand that scenarios like this can cause concern, and we want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain a top priority. We appreciate the quick response of our staff and local law enforcement, and we will continue to reinforce our safety procedures to maintain a secure learning environment for everyone.

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Photo: CSD