The Watertown Unified School District and its Board of Education wish to publicly thank the staff and students of Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) for their incredible acts of generosity and kindness as an emergency situation unfolded at Watertown High School on the afternoon of Monday, April 27, 2026.
When a pipe bomb threat was called into the high school, staff and students immediately evacuated the building and relocated to MBU, as directed by the emergency plan. With only moments’ notice of the impending arrival of 1,100 Goslings, the university was ready and welcoming with their doors wide open.
Over the course of the next five hours, WHS and MBU staff, in partnership with the Watertown Police Department, provided safety and security for everyone on the college campus, as the threat at WHS was investigated and through the completion of the student and parent/guardian reunification process.
Although we practice drills for this type of situation, it feels unimaginable when it happens, and we are incredibly thankful that the threat was unsubstantiated. We cannot say thank you enough to the team at MBU for its incredible support, and to the Police Department for its quick response and thorough search of our high school and grounds. Thank you also to our students for their resilience, and to our parents, guardians, and the greater Watertown community their patience and understanding.
Monday’s event reminded us what community is truly all about - neighbors helping neighbors. As MBU’s doors are open to us, our doors are open to MBU.
Go Sabercats!
Go Goslings!
Let us all support each other and our incredible community of Watertown, Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
Jenny Borst, Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Margaret Brady, Director of Human Resources
Beth Munson, Director of Business Services
Jason Bull & Sarah Oudenhoven, Interim Co-Superintendents
Jason Widiker, Watertown High School Principal, and the WHS Staff