Cougar sighting in Chattaroy prompts school ‘lockout’ until cat was dispatched

A reported cougar sighting prompted Riverside School District officials to institute a “lockout” at Chattaroy Elementary School, but it ended after wildlife officers used dogs to chase the mountain lion up a nearby tree where it was euthanized.

Superintendent Ken Russell said the initial report of a cougar on campus came just after noon on Tuesday.

“We went into a lockout, which means we have normal procedures in the building but we don’t allow our kids to go outside,” Russell said.

Russell called officers from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, who brought dogs to track the possible cougar.

“They did not find a scent on campus,” Russell said. “So we did not have evidence that the cougar was on campus.”

But the officers followed up with neighbors, who also reported seeing a cougar near the school.

“They did take their dogs there, got a scent, treed the cat and euthanized the cat,” Russell said. “All students and community are safe.”

The cougar was located and killed about a half-mile from the school, located at 25717 N. Yale Road in Spokane County.

After the report from wildlife officers, “we lifted the lockout at about 2 p.m.,” Russell said.

The cougar sighting was the first for Russell since he joined the school district three years ago, he said.

“However, I’ve heard stories about a sighting many years ago. One of our teachers grew up in the area,” he said. “Our original mascot of the school was a cougar.”

School officials earlier this year changed the mascot for all schools in the Riverside School District to the Rams.