Havre School shut down due to leftover police training issues

In a joint release printed on the Havre Public Schools website, the school district and Havre Police Department said an incident that led to a security action at Lincoln-McKinley Primary School was due to a police department training exercise held at the school.

The release said the school was put into a lock out and hold-in-place Friday, Sept. 30, after school officials discovered a door had been propped open, allowing access to the building.

School district officials coordinated with the Havre Police Department and determined the building was secure, the release said.

A school official also received a report that a suspicious package was found in a student’s locker.

The release said that while coordinating the investigation into the open door and the package, Havre Police Department said the door had been propped open as part of the training exercise, the release said.

It also said the package also was part of the training exercise and was removed from the school.

The release said that, as a result of the ongoing investigation, Havre Public Schools and the Havre Police Department will work together to ensure “future training exercises are conducted in a safe and acceptable manner consistent with all applicable safety policies and protocols.

“Schools are used for training purposes to ensure a safe and secure school setting and all involved parties never lose sight of that goal,” the release said. “While the district is unable to share any student or staff information, the public can be assured that all appropriate measures are being taken to protect the safety and security of all students.”