For administrators at the secondary level, not many school days go according to plan or script, but few things are more disruptive than a student threat of violence. When threats are made--or if there is a rumor of a serious student threat--it can take both time and resources to investigate, interview, and analyze multiple pieces of information in a quest for answers and appropriate solutions. Principals know that for students to achieve at optimum levels, the school environment must be safe and orderly, and they also know that rumors and innuendo about threats of violence can have a detrimental effect on safety and order. This article discusses how to assess student treats and how to maintain a safe environment for staff members, students, parents, and even for principals themselves. The article suggests that principals should have a threat assessment team and a written protocol which enable a deliberate and thorough response that keeps the school calm and also swiftly reduces the threat. It also presents some resources from the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education, which can help principals and schools develop a threat assessment protocol. A threat of violence systematic process chart from Jackson (Missouri) R-2 School District is also presented.