Update:

Superintendent Dr. Katie Thomas isn’t happy about the fact that school had to be called off today, and said that students who can be linked back to any specific threats against a Polk School District campus following a slew of social media posts threatening schools nationwide made their way around Polk County on Thursday night.

Thomas reported that the district was working through the night to track down social media postings following the threats going up online on various social media platforms, but started on TikTok, per reporting from other area news outlets.

She said the district watched the nationwide threats made to schools on social media throughout the day on Thursday and well into the evening, when the problem grew and was “exacerbated” further when parents began to report the postings to 911 and the number of posts increased.

“It was in the best interest of everyone to call off school, and be better safe than sorry,” Thomas said. “It is a sad world we live in.”

She said the district continues to investigate all the threats that have been made since Thursday night, and if they can track down any specific threats made against a Polk School District campus, there will be consequences for any student involved. One threat made on social media did include “CHS,” but Thomas said the district didn’t know specifically if that meant Cedartown High School or another campus.

In the meantime, final exams for sixth and seventh-period classes were supposed to be held today. Those who were required to take an exam won’t have to, but those who are seeking to improve their final grade will be given the opportunity to take the final exam for their class at a later date, Thomas said.

“No student will be penalized for this,” Thomas said of student grades.

Youth who want the opportunity to take their final exam will have to make arrangements with their teachers to do so at Cedartown or Rockmart High Schools.

Previously posted:

The Polk School District closed its doors for the final day before the holiday break after threats – all the same post – we’re shared on social media on Thursday night.

Thus far, Polk School District Police Chief Michael McGee has said none of those threats have turned out to be credible.

“There’s nothing (posts) that we can put in the district,” he explained. “But we decided to cancel school out of an abundance of caution.”

The posts – which are not being included to hopefully stop the spread of the threats on social media – have been shared dozens of times according to McGee.

He did add the social media posts so far have been made up of students sharing screenshots of the same post.

“More leads are coming in of people texting us pictures, and it is all the same one,” he said. “It is the same thing that has also been going around on Facebook as well.”

He said that officers have spoken to each of the students who shared the post, and have come up with no credible threats to verify. However, McGee said the district is taking every measure possible just in case as staff were still required to come to school today.

To ensure their safety, McGee said patrols at all campuses have been stepped up.

Students who were supposed to take final exams today will not have that missing grade count against them if they choose not to make it up, per the PSD’s posting announcing school was canceled last night.

“Grades for sixth and seventh periods will be calculated as is excluding the final exam,” the posting reported.