Update From Superintendent: February 27 Incident at Huntington Middle School

Dear San Marino Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,

We appreciate the feedback you have provided regarding the February 27 threat at Huntington Middle School, as well as the response and emergency procedures that followed.

As you know, situations like this evolve quickly, and our top priority at all times is the safety of our students and staff. In my previous communication, I shared that Huntington Middle School received a phone call that prompted an immediate lockdown of the school, Valentine Elementary School, and the District Office. The San Marino Police Department quickly responded to the scene and, after an initial assessment with school staff, implemented evacuation procedures for both schools, then dismissed students.

The San Marino Police Department later confirmed that the caller initially indicated a threat of a school shooting and subsequently stated that a bomb was on the middle school campus. As a result, emergency procedures shifted from Lockdown to Evacuate while law enforcement secured the campus. This is why you may have received Emergency Alerts twice regarding the incident and the changing status of the campuses.

Officers conducted a sweep of Huntington Middle School and the police confirmed that the campus was clear and deemed safe. School activities resumed the following day, with normal school operations continuing on Monday, March 2.

We understand that many in our community would like additional details about the incident. At this time, the matter remains an active investigation by the San Marino Police Department. The District is fully cooperating with the investigation and providing any support necessary to identify the caller. Updates will be shared as they become available.

Events like this provide an opportunity to reflect and improve. We are proud of how our staff and students responded during the incident and we are carefully reviewing our emergency response and communication procedures to determine where we can further strengthen our practices.

ParentSquare remains the District’s primary platform for sharing updates and urgent school-safety alerts. We encourage families to keep their contact information up to date so they can receive timely notifications.

As always, we welcome your feedback as we continue working together to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and community.

Sincerely,
Linda de la Torre, Ed.D.
Superintendent