LAKEVILLE — Union-North United School Corp. leaders said they plan to update their crisis plan this summer.

But that’s too late for several parents who voiced concerns over the handling of Friday’s bomb threat and temporary student evacuation of LaVille Jr.-Sr. High School.

Parents who attended Tuesday night’s school board meeting were upset that parents have yet to be notified of the event.

One woman handed over papers of proper procedures for handling such events which she said she found on federal computer sites.

“We did find some errors in our procedures,” Larry Ort, board member, told the assembled crowd in the school’s library Tuesday night.

When he said the crisis plan would be updated this summer, several parents said that is not soon enough.

One woman wanted to know why parents weren’t notified before the news media. She said she found out about the bomb threat from television and radio.

“...We messed up,” Ort said. “We dialed the wrong number ...”

He explained that school officials contacted police and that “news media monitor” those events.

“Police and fire were notified,” he said, “and that spurs the media.”

School officials told parents at the meeting that a committee will begin work in early June on the crisis plan update, and should be finished by the end of summer. A panel will include parents, as well.

Board member Rob Swathwood, when the questioning about notification continued from parents, explained that students must be removed from the school first, and that officials “can notify parents” once the students are allowed to return.

He also commended the faculty and staff for their handling of the incident.

“I understand the concerns about being notified,” Swathwood added.

John Arnett, school principal, said following the meeting that there is “no way” that school officials can notify every parent or guardian of such an event.

The bomb threat was found Friday on a bathroom stall, a message in writing and similar to the one that neighboring Plymouth High School received last week.

Students were removed to the school’s football field while St. Joseph County police, assisted by Lakeville and LaPaz, spent about 2 1/2 hours searching the school. During the search, another bomb threat message was found. Both were written in two separate women’s rest rooms.

The LaVille bomb threat came five weeks after the school had a lockdown following a rumor that students had taken guns to the school. No weapons were found in that incident.

Wayne Spaich, a parent with two children attending the school, said both during and following the meeting, “Parents have to be notified. We have to do something now.”

Spaich said he would gladly volunteer to join the panel to speed things along.

“And the other thing is, more parents have to be involved with their children’s lives ...,” he added. “You’re not going to stop them from doing everything, but you have to be involved.”