In response to a nationwide trend of threatening messages toward schools on social media, the William S. Hart Union High School District sent a message to parents and staff Thursday stating that no threats have been reported locally.  “We are aware of social media threats to schools circulating regionally and nationwide. These posts have not named Hart district schools and law enforcement has not identified threats to our district schools,” reads the message from interim Superintendent Michael Vierra. “We will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate any threats reported.”  According to Debbie Dunn, communications coordinator for the district, there have been no Hart district schools specifically named in any social media posts threatening violence, but there was a post she saw that had a collage and appeared to show students with a message of, “stay safe out there.”  Dunn added that anything sent through the district CAREtext line is sent to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station to be investigated.  “The safety of our students and staff is our top priority,” Vierra continued. “As a reminder, we encourage you and your students to enter your school CAREText number into your phones and to report items of concern. We also encourage you to talk with your students about the impact of reposting and ‘sharing’ social media threats with their friends and how it increases anxiety in our school community.”  Online threats against schools across the nation have become more prevalent in recent weeks. In Riverside County, a 14-year-old boy was arrested on Monday and a 12-year-old boy was arrested last week, both on suspicion of making criminal threats, according to news releases from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.  On Monday, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in Volusia County, Florida, posted the mugshot of an 11-year-old boy on Facebook after he reportedly “made threats to commit a school shooting” at local middle schools. An investigation yielded Airsoft rifles, pistols and fake ammunition along with knives, swords and other weapons he was showing off to other students in a video, and the boy was arrested on suspicion of a felony charge of making a written threat of a mass shooting, the post from Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood stated.  Locally, the SCV Sheriff’s Station has investigated a few general threats, according to Deputy Robert Jensen, spokesman for the station, but investigations have not yielded any weapons or specific targets.  Jensen said further research shows that posts linking local schools to these threats have been because of common names, and the actual school being listed is located in a different state based on the groupings of schools in the post.  That doesn’t mean the station isn’t investigating everything as if it is real.  “We treat each threat or inquiry as if it’s a real thing,” Jensen said, adding that even if you think something has been reported already, you should double check with the station to be sure.  Jensen said the best point of contact for students would be the school resource deputies and the CAREtext line that the Hart district uses. Reports can also be made to the station itself at 661-260-4000.  The post Hart district responds to nationwide trend of threatening messages  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.