COLD SPRING - The ROCORI School Board met for the first time last (Monday) night, since two weapons incidents in the middle school.

During the open comment period, a handful of concerned parents questioned  why the district didn't go into a lockdown when they heard there was a gun in the school on April 11th, or when they heard about the knife in the school on April 20th.

Superintendent Scott Staska says he can't go into specific details about what they knew, but he says a lockdown isn't always the best policy.

The school board seemed to be divided on whether a lockdown should have been issued.

The school board also discussed the issue of installing metal detectors, a topic that was also brought up after the shootings in 2003.

It was determined at that time that metal detectors were not a good idea.  But, the board decided that since the public was asking for a discussion on the issue they'd host an open forum in the near future.

Meanwhile, at the same time the school board was meeting, a group of about a dozen parents held an informal meeting at a Cold Spring church.  Organizer Lisa Stukey has a child in the ROCORI Middle School.  She wouldn't allow members of the media to sit in on the meeting, but said it was just a chance for parents to vent their concerns and express their opinion on how the incidents were handled.  Stukey says no further meetings are planned.

Both the student who brought the gun and the student who brought the knife are expected to be expelled.  The student with the gun is also facing criminal charges.  Also, the school liaison officer has been placed on paid administrative leave since the April 11th incident.

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