Parents demand action from school board after threats against Wake Forest school

Parents whose children attend Jones Dairy Elementary School want school board leaders to take action and do it soon.

“As a parent, I need to know, right now, which decisions are going to be made,” parent Nick Pione said.

Pione’s daughter attends Jones Dairy, which has been the target of online threats and trespassing.

According to an application for a warrant to search the house on Tiffield Way where Kochetkov lives with his parents – it backs up to the Jones Dairy Elementary property – he made expletive-filled posts on Facebook threatening to shoot up schools. The posts include photos of guns, Wake Forest police cars, a Wake County deputy's car and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson.

Parents, teachers discuss security at Wake Forest school amid man's threats

Parents on Tuesday night told school board members that Kochetkov has been a concern of theirs for years.

“Jones Dairy Elementary School children have been threatened with their lives,” said one woman.

Kochetkov is currently in jail, but parents are worried about what will happen when he is released.

“[Our son’s] first question to us was, ‘Mom, do people ever break out of jail?’ and that, as a parent, is heartbreaking,” one father said.

School board members faced harsh criticism for not requesting funding for more security, but Chairwoman Monika Johnson-Hostler said there is a process that must be followed.

“We would never go to the commissioners without our full board having a conversation. I mean, that’s our process, which I just explained to the parents, so there hasn’t been a request because our board hasn’t met,” Johnson-Hostler said.

Mother says accused Wake Forest school trespasser has PTSD, but isn't threat

Parents, however, said time is of the essence.

“We need urgency behind this, need a decision immediately,” Pione said.

Parents are asking for a permanent armed security guard, better locks and a double entry security vestibule.

Wake County schools spokeswoman Lisa Luten said school officials have already paid for an armed off-duty officer and security guard for the Jones Dairy Elementary School, added additional security cameras, built a fence, added security film to the windows, cleared brush near the property, suspended use of the outdoor campus and installed a new visitor management system in the front lobby.

Kochetkov’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 10.