Three west Bend schools were placed into a precautionary Secure mode Monday afternoon after a bobcat sighting in the area.
An alert sent out at 1:50 p.m. indicated the Secure was initiated at Summit High School, Pacific Crest Middle School and Miller Elementary as a precaution. It was lifted about 21 minutes later.
A message sent to Miller parents indicted the bobcat was ultimately not considered to be a threat.
All three schools are located next to each other in the triangle between NW Crosby Drive, NW Skyliners Road and NW Mount Washington Drive.
Secure means nobody can enter or exit, but classes continue as normal.
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The following is a message sent to Miller parents:
Today our school went into a Secure after reports of a bobcat sighting near school property. Law enforcement and a game warden responded, located the bobcat, assessed its condition and determined that it was not a threat to students, staff or neighbors.
According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, “Bobcats are generally not considered a threat to people, though very small children should always be monitored outside.”
Our students and staff did a great job responding to the Secure protocol. As a reminder, during a Secure, outside doors are locked and no one goes in or out of the building, but business continues as usual inside the school.
Wildlife near school property is one of the many instances in which a Secure protocol can be used to successfully support student and staff safety.
