Incident at Dismissal | Newburgh Free Academy

Update | January 14, 2025 at 7:45pm

January 14, 2025

Dear Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus students, families, faculty, and staff,

I am writing to provide follow-up information to a communication that was shared earlier today. As we shared previously, a lockout protocol was initiated at Newburgh Free Academy Main Campus, on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at dismissal for approximately 10 minutes due to reports of shots being fired near the school. At this time, there are no reports of injuries. 

The City of Newburgh has released a statement regarding the incident and has confirmed that the shooter has been identified and charged with multiple felony charges and that the weapon has been recovered. Their full statement can be found by clicking this link. 

A lockout is initiated due to activity outside of the school building and limits access to the campus. It is used to secure buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an imminent concern outside the school. This procedure allows the school to continue the normal school operations inside the building. In today’s case, the lockout was initiated to support local law enforcement in containing the crime scene.

Although this is a very troubling incident, at this time, we do not feel as though there is a threat to our school community, however, we have requested an additional presence of law enforcement tomorrow to help our students feel more comfortable.

We know that our students may need additional support after experiencing just a frightening event. Our Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team has been activated and is available to support our school as needed. The CISM team is a group of dedicated NECSD and Orange County professionals when needed (school psychologists, counselors, and social workers) who are specifically trained in this nationally recognized process that helps mitigate the impact of a stressful event, supports the recovery process, and assesses the need for additional support. Students who feel the need to process their emotions should visit the Guidance and Career Center at NFA Main Campus. 

Your child may have questions or wish to express their emotions about witnessing or hearing rumors about the situation. Try to be sensitive to their desire to communicate, while listening to and accepting their feelings. Please contact one of the Social Emotional Learning educators in our building if you need assistance with conversations about their feelings and/or emotions.

We are extremely thankful for our dedicated security and administrative staff as well as our Sheriff’s School Safety Deputy who were immediately present at the scene to assist in de-escalating the incident. We are also thankful for the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who responded to the lockout protocol and acted quickly and efficiently as we have practiced throughout the year.

The district is thankful for the quick response of local law enforcement and will continue to collaborate with them to assist in their investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the City of Newburgh Detective Division at 845-569-7509. All callers can remain anonymous.

Please know that the safety of our scholars remains our highest priority. We strive to support every Goldback, every day. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jackielyn Manning Campbell
Superintendent of Schools

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Initial Communication | January 14, 2025 at 3:12pm

Hello NECSD students, families, faculty, and staff,

ATTENTION: Are your scholars or colleagues doing something great? Please contact the district Communications Team at communications@necsd.net. We’d love to visit your class or event and/or post your pictures and recap to highlight the amazing accomplishments throughout our district!