In what police say turned out to be a man with a cellphone, a student at Berne-Knox-Westerlo reported Friday that she saw a man with a knife or a large gun as kids were leaving for the day, prompting a lockout at the school and a mass-alert sent to emergency notification subscribers. 

Flickering lights were the first sign that something was wrong, said Superintendent Marie Wiles.

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District held assemblies last week to address any questions or anxieties students may have about school shootings, from teaching how to respond to an active shooter to addressing mental health.

The Voorheesville school district will hold a planning meeting with police on Thursday, March 10, from 1 to 3 p.m.

“During that time, you’re on your own,” said Captain Daniel McNally of the Guilderland Police.

He was referring to the minutes between a 9-1-1 call and the arrival of police. The national average is said to be three minutes, he said, “but I would argue it’s more than that.”

COPsync 911 is intended for life-threatening situations, to silently communicate with emergency responders. Sheriff Craig Apple is the first to test it in New York.

 A student who killed his mother in 2001 planned to attack the high school, the cop now stationed at the school told the board last week during a presentation on safety. This was the first public mention of such an attack, surprising the board president.

Having a police dog sniff student lockers for drugs or having police watch inside the school through cameras undermines the trust that is critical to student learning and well-being.