CLIO, MI - It's been a handful of years since Clio schools Superintendent Fletcher Spears III first contacted former Clio police chief Jim McLellan about the possibility of developing a plan that would allow staff members to carry a concealed weapon in school buildings.

In the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at a Florida high school that left 14 students and three staff members dead, the idea has been rekindled but not at the urging of the superintendent.

"I've had several parents come forward and ask us to at least look at that as a possibility," said Spears, following a Thursday, Feb. 22, press conference at the Genesee County Sheriff's Office following a suspected threat at the district's high school.

Sheriff Robert Pickell said the incident involved a "kill list" that was referenced by a 14-year-old freshman student in a locker room discussion and was overheard by others. No list has been discovered following an investigation by police and school officials, but criminal charges have been filed against him in connection with the incident.

He was suspended on Feb. 7 in connection with a different issue and has not been in school since then.

Spears called arming staff "a very viable option" and he's been contacting the district's Board of Education members.

"It may go nowhere, but I think we need to look at every possibility, leave no stone unturned and take whatever precautions we need to protect our kids," he said.

State legislation was proposed in September 2017 to allow concealed firearms in schools.

Senate Bills 584-586 would allow people with concealed weapons permits to -- with additional training -- get permission to carry concealed weapons in traditionally pistol-free zones like schools, day care centers, stadiums, churches and college dorms.

To get the exemption and be allowed to carry in these areas, a CPL holder would have to have at least eight hours of additional training beyond the required CPL training or be a certified firearms instructor.

It also settles a longstanding loophole in the law that allowed open carry, but not concealed carry, in gun-free zones. People would be able to carry concealed, but not openly, in these zones.

School districts would still be able to create policies that would prevent staff members and students from carrying concealed weapons, under the legislation.

Spears said the district conducts active shooter training, has locked vestibules in each building entrance and cameras. A lockdown/active shooter drill has been moved up to next week in light of recent events, according to the district.

He also welcomed the idea of armed security at school buildings, but Spears added the cost was not feasible given tight budgets for districts as it could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

The incident in Clio was reported by a student just after school let out for the day on Feb. 16, with an investigation launched on the morning of Feb. 20.

"We knew that student was not going to be in the building," said Lisa Taylor, principal of Clio High School. "We had one comment at that point and it was an off-handed comment, so at that point, we knew come Tuesday ... that was the first and foremost thing we were going to address."

Taylor said written statements were gathered and students were spoken with.

"We needed to disseminate what is the truth and what is fiction, what someone heard and saw and what a friend heard they thought they saw that may have happened," Taylor said.

Police were contacted to get involved in the investigation, Taylor said, with Pickell adding the student was taken into custody. A search of his locker and home uncovered no list or weapons that could be used to carry out any threat.

Spears issued a letter on Feb. 21 to parents and guardians saying the student is being held at the Genesee Valley Regional Center. He's been charged in juvenile court with one count of making a terrorist threat or false report of terrorism, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Students are instructed to speak up if they see something or hear something, Spears said, but those lessons face a stiff test once rumors begin to fly around on social media.

"In this particular situation, a statement will be written, put out, it may or may not be true and by the time it's gone through several different people it's grown a life of its own," he said, pointing out that some adults take those things to heart when they may not be true.

"One of the big things (here), we had was a hit list. They had a rape list and a hit list," said Spears of chatter on social media. "As Sheriff Pickell said, we've looked high and low and talked to kids, we've been on their phones. If there is (a list), somebody hid it really well because we can't find it."

He urged parents to reach out directly to school officials if they have concerns.

"We will respond. We understand parents are concerned. It's their kids, but perpetuating rumors on social media does none of us any good," said Spears.

The alleged threat is one of several that have been reported by Mid-Michigan school districts in recent days, including North Branch, Kearsley, Bentley, and multiple in Mt. Morris, where officials released a statement Feb. 22 following the latest incident involving a student talking about bringing a rifle to school and firing it.

Renae Galsterer, the superintendent of Mt. Morris Schools, previously said each school building has a safety protocol in place that includes public and internal information.

"I would say with what's happened recently, there will undoubtedly be an examination and there are examinations taking place of all procedures and protocols," she said. "I don't doubt that things will be changed, not only in our area but in our nation."

The district has held lockdown drills as well as training some personnel in active shooter drills, with two additional staff members trained last week a few days prior to the Florida incident, and has one full-time school resource officer and a part-time officer that works solely at Montague Elementary School through grant funding.

In her own individual opinion, Galsterer said she would not want her staff or herself to be armed at the school buildings.