Extra precautions taken during incident at local elementary school

PALMER — Palmer Police responded to Sherrod Elementary to assist in resolving a custody dispute on Friday afternoon. Despite rumors of lockdown, Mat-Su Borough School District Public Information Officer Jillian Morrissey said that neither a stay put nor lockdown procedures were put in place.

“We took extra precautions that included locking our front doors, adding additional staff, and alerting the Palmer Police Dept. At no time was there a threat to anyone in our school. However, we felt it best to stay on alert. Safety is our top priority and we will always err on the side of caution. We released the students as planned, and buses are now on their way home.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 761-4100,” wrote Sherrod Principal Lorri Cook in an email to parents Friday at 4:26 p.m.

“When PPD was there, it was with our emergency management coordinator, who was there early on,” Morrissey said.