It was a normal day at Zionsville Middle School one day last week. Around lunchtime, though, things got unnecessarily hairy, when a number of calls were placed to 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers. There was a quick law-enforcement response and it all turned out to be a prank. A fifth-grader placed the series of calls from a pay phone (Remember those?) in the school. A day disrupted. A waste of tax dollars associated with the police response. Yes, kids will be kids, but this one was over the line. The parent in us would be embarrassed beyond tears. The parent in us also would be enraged that something so senseless could be perpetrated. We’re in an age of heightened awareness of school tragedies, so when a call comes in to 9-1-1 from any academic institution, blood pressure naturally rises, the heart rate quickens and all kinds of thoughts run through all kinds of minds. Our guess is the student was just being a kid, but that student needs to fully understand the gravity of the situation. The school should mete out a fitting punishment of its choosing, we suppose up to and including suspension. As to whether charges are forthcoming from law enforcement (At least reimbursement for the response?), we were waiting to learn as of press time. And maybe it’s time for that old pay phone to go the way of most of its brethren.
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We realize the primary election is more than a month away, but it’s never too soon to research and listen to the many candidates eligible for May 6 polling. Closer to voting day, we’ll provide an election primer, one that will be part of Current on May 3. We don’t like to deliver on Election Day, so you’ll have your paper the Saturday before.
