Be SAFE, be respectful, be responsible and do it the Charger Way.

Bullitt East was put in an unplanned soft lockdown this week, but the students and faculty handled the situation well.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, an unauthorized person entered Bullitt East and the school was put on a soft lockdown. Many students were confused and concerned about what was happening in the school. While the situation was handled in a safe manner, staff are looking into different ways to make the school more secure for the Bullitt East community.

Posed with a potential safety threat towards those in the building, the staff issued a soft lockdown in the middle of first period that continued till the end of second period. The lockdown was set in place after a few students reported that an unknown person entered the building. This gave the administration enough time to assess the situation and to get the unauthorized person out of the building.

In an email that principal Chris Mason sent to the Bullitt East community, he said, “Students were never in any danger but we decided to err on the side of caution with a soft lockdown. After communicating with the Sheriff’s department and Mt. Washington Police Department, it was determined that the unauthorized person did not have any malicious intent.”

Despite being confused about the situation, the students did their best to remain calm. Many students were not alarmed. They did not feel unsafe. Senior Mikayla Dooley said, “I felt pretty calm, I was focused on using all of that time finishing my homework.” Generally the students did not fear for their safety.

Mason stated that school is not put on lockdown unless completely necessary. The school is put on hard lockdown only when there is a perched threat in the building. In the event that the administration felt that the threat left the school or is no longer present, students would be placed on a soft lockdown, so administration could check the building and make sure that entrances and exits are secure.

The administration worked hard to assure that the situation did not get out of control. “It was handled very well, extremely well,” said administrative assistant Misti Allen.

Mason was proud of how well the school handled the situation. “I thought our administrators did a great job, not only that our teachers and students were outstanding. Our student body is great at adapting to change, I can’t brag enough on our student body. They did a great job and our staff did as well,” said Mason.

While the administrators handled the situation well, they are always looking for new ways to help improve their emergency procedures. “We’re always thinking. We’re always talking about new ideas and things we can do to make it even better.” Mason and the other staff member’s goal is to make sure students are as safe as possible. Mason’s encourages students and teachers to remain calm in emergency situations. Mason always makes sure to notify parents and staff in emergency situations.