SWANZEY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Parents of Cutler Elementary School students are voicing outrage after learning that school officials did not immediately inform families about a student making a threat on a school bus Monday morning. The controversy erupted after a parent’s social media post on Tuesday, which quickly gained traction and sparked a heated discussion about transparency and student safety.

According to the parent’s Facebook post, a student on the bus allegedly made a threat involving gun violence, leaving many parents frustrated that they had to learn about the incident secondhand rather than from school officials. “The principal and superintendent of the school you send your children to and trust with their safety every school day have failed you!!” the post read. “All I wanted was for the information to be shared with the parents of the students that were on the bus when this threat occurred! Is that so much to ask?”

The school district, however, maintains that there was no credible threat of violence. In a letter sent to families on Wednesday, Superintendent Jeremy Rathbun acknowledged concerns but defended the district’s decision not to issue a school-wide notification. “Although our intentions were to prevent confusion and fear, we know that is not what happened. We apologize for the concerns that this has caused,” he wrote. Rathbun assured families that the incident was immediately reported, investigated, and handled according to district policy.

Despite the apology, many parents remain unsatisfied, arguing that safety concerns should have been openly communicated. One Facebook user commented, “It’s unacceptable and it’s no joke of any sort.” Another wrote, “The fact that this was not made known from the beginning is alarming and discouraging to say the very least.” A third frustrated parent added, “Threat or not, all parents should have known.”

In response to the backlash, school officials have pledged to review their notification procedures for similar incidents in the future.

“This incident goes to show that planning and best intentions do not always lead to the best outcomes,” Rathbun wrote. We will be reviewing our procedures for dealing with situations like these to ensure that we are making the best decisions for our community. Our commitment to open and honest communication with our families remains a top priority at Cutler School and throughout the (school) district.”