A lack of communication in the aftermath of two April incidents in the Newburgh School District continues to be a source of concern for some parents.

“My nerves should be calm, I shouldn’t have to worry about my daughter going to school and getting attacked,” Courtney Allen said. “Give us some kind of communication on what’s going on.”

Allen first appeared before the Newburgh City Council on May 23, and then before the Board of Education the following night.

Two incidents brought to the attention of both governing bodies were threats on April 26 that were made against the Newburgh school district that were racially motivated and a police presence at a child’s home.

On the day of the threats, a two-hour delay was put into place as a result of racially charged threats circulating online with photos of a weapon. Newburgh Free Academy Main and South campuses were targeted. A few days later, a bomb threat was made against the school district resulting in the arrest of a 17-year-old.

According to Allen, if a situation does happen at the schools, the district provides updates to the parents through email communications, website releases and robocalls, which are automatic pre-recorded calls sent out.

Allen said she is aware of the arrest made but she has not received any follow up to the April 26th incident. Police Commissioner Jose Gomerez addressed Allen’s concerns about the incident and said it is still being investigated by the police department at this time.

The second incident brought to the attention of the council and school board was when a mother came forward about several police officers that were called to her home to perform a wellness check on her family.

According to the mother, her seven-year-old son had drawn an image in art class on May 11 that was brought to the attention of the school art teacher. The art teacher followed school protocol and the student was sent to a guidance counselor.

The guidance counselor reached out and assured the parent that there was no need for concern following the assessment. The next day, police officers were called to the home to perform a wellness check on the family after the school principal had called the police. The mother stated that a search was conducted without a warrant.

Mayor Torrance Harvey said he was aware of the situation and had reached out to the mother following the incident and has requested a meeting with the city manager, police chief and police commissioner to address the incident and requested body camera footage of the date in question. The incident is currently under investigation.

Interim Superintendent Ed Forgit said that he will be reaching out to the mother that spoke about the incident and took what she said and other comments about the recent threats and concerns to heart and will be working to address those concerns.