Drumwright reported that, out of 1,870 students enrolled, more than 600 were absent. 

Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Paul Chagolla said Thursday was “an uneventful day–nothing (violent) happened.”

Four separate assaults involving BCHS students were reported over the March 30‑April 1 weekend, according to DVUSD and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Tensions seem to have boiled over during the week, culminating in a threat of more serious violence at Boulder Creek on April 5.

Although The Desert Advocate attempted to obtain specific information about these student attacks last week, Chagolla offered no details and said investigation of the incidents was going very slowly because the individuals involved “don’t want to talk to us.”

“It needs to be addressed,” said Tobie Mandolado, mother of a BCHS student from New River. “If they (residents) are not talking because they fear property values going down further, this is not going to go away. If people come to Anthem to buy a house and see gangs, that will affect property values.”

Mandolado says it would be better to “nip the problem in the bud” than to ignore youth violence.

A parent of a student who was attacked that weekend called The Desert Advocate but was afraid to talk about the incident in the newspaper.

State Rep. Doug Clark, R‑Anthem, said while he has full trust and confidence in the school administration and the sheriff’s department to handle the student violence, his “antennae is going to be up” to see if the problem is addressed.

“Parents need to get (more ) involved in their children’s lives,” Clark said, laying the blame on parents for the student attacks. 

BCHS senior Zack Stratford, who did attend school that Thursday, stated he believes most of the problems come from the same group of kids and that the faculty at Boulder Creek is overwhelmed in trying to deal with the situation.

Stratford related two of the weekend assault victims, both his friends, were jumped on the street and beaten but did not require hospitalization.

Although Stratford and his friends are black, he doesn’t believe the violence is necessarily racially motivated–rather, that it appears to be more territorial in nature.

“It’s basically the same group of kids that all hang together and dress alike,” he said.

According to Stratford, student fights frequently erupt during school lunch periods–at least two times a week.

“Fights can happen any time the kids aren’t in class,” he said, noting students are suspended for five days when caught fighting at school.

Stratford thinks the school could do more to stop an ongoing drug problem, pointing out some students are taking pills such as Soma and Vicodin and also selling them to other students for a few dollars a piece. “I’ve seen people inebriated, high on something,” he said.

Terri Morris, mother of a BCHS student, stated she knows rules are in place for these kinds of situations, but no one seems to enforce them.

On the evening of April 4, Stratford received a call from a friend who told him not to go to school the next day because of rumors some students were bringing guns to school. He went to school despite the rumor.

“I was not really scared a lot ... but some people were scared,” he said, adding school was quiet and nearly empty Thursday.

Cortney Morris, a sophomore at Boulder Creek, said the school was practically deserted, noting it usually takes about 15‑20 minutes to get lunch but that it took no time at all on Thursday. She stated classes that usually have 30‑35 students had only around 15 in attendance.

“It was vacant,” said Morris.    

Several parents called The Desert Advocate last week to report text messages indicating guns would be brought to the campus.

On campus Thursday, Deputy Doug Matteson stated MCSO is investigating the assaults but believes those incidents are connected to Thursday’s threats. He explained the department still is trying to weed out the rumors and find the original source.

“We’re here in a proactive role,” said Matteson, noting the department had dispatched an additional 35 officers to the Anthem area. “We’re just showing we’re in the area,” he added.

Principal Kevin Imes sent a letter to parents explaining there have been “several rumors” circulating by text messaging, e‑mail and phone calls “regarding a possible situation at Boulder Creek High School as a result of activities in the community over last weekend (Mar 30‑Apr 1).”

Chagolla said on Monday the department has received no new reports of student fights over this past weekend.

Reach the reporters: /