Disgruntled parent prompts school lockdown

The Maricopa Unified School District ordered a “teaching lockdown” for Santa Cruz Elementary School and Desert Wind Middle School Thursday morning after a parent caused a disruption within the elementary school.

Both schools are within the Tortosa community. They are about 1 mile apart. 

The district ordered both schools to be placed on lockdown around 9:45 a.m. The lockdown was lifted around 10:30 a.m. 

Tom Beckett, director of human resources for the district, said a teaching lockdown means school staff locks all exterior doors but teaching continues within the classroom.

Beckett said no students or school employees were injured in the incident. 

Ricky Alvarado of the Maricopa Police Department said police received a call around 8:11 a.m. of a parent at Santa Cruz Elementary School who had “a disagreement” with the staff and principal. School staff called police after the parent left.

As an officer was later in route to the school, police received a call the parent had returned. 

Alvarado said the parent was “being loud” and “using profanity” toward school employees and disrupted business within the school office. 

The parent was cited for disorderly conduct and released.