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ST. LOUIS — It could be months before students return to two high schools in south St. Louis where a man shot and killed a teacher and a student Monday.

Students and staff at Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience can start collecting their belongings as early as Thursday, but it could be weeks to months before the school is cleaned and renovated for reopening. The schools will start a virtual learning program on Monday.

Central and Collegiate’s buildings, which share a campus near Tower Grove Park, are “riddled with bullets,� Matt Davis, president of the board of St. Louis Public Schools, said at a news conference Tuesday.

“Today we begin to try to make sense of this, to try to heal, to try to learn how to stop this from ever happening again,� Davis said.

Students and staff at both schools are receiving counseling after a former student shot and killed P.E. teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, and Alexzandria Bell, 15, and wounded six others.

While Central and Collegiate were closed, other St. Louis Public Schools buildings remained open to students Tuesday, along with a virtual learning option.

SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams said the district wanted to provide as many options as possible for families. He also noted both schools’ principals feel it is important that, when the time comes, they reopen their doors at the same time. 

Also Tuesday, as copycat threats led to increased security at area campuses, three students at two suburban high schools were arrested when guns were found.

Two students were arrested Tuesday after a gun was found at Belleville East High School, Belleville police said. 

Police were called to the school just after 9 a.m. by a school resource officer about a 15-year-old boy with a gun. The boy was taken into custody by police. A 14-year-old boy was also arrested in connection to the incident.

A parent reported suspicious social media activity before school on Tuesday that allegedly depicted the students handling a gun. The students were isolated and searched at the school, when a gun and ammunition were found.

Hazelwood Police said they arrested a student Tuesday with a handgun at Hazelwood West High School.

School officials in several districts around the region, including Ferguson-Florissant and University City, added security Tuesday after fielding multiple copycat threats on social media. Patrol cars from police departments including Frontenac and Maplewood were stationed at schools in their areas.

School security teams did not find the threats credible, although some named specific schools.

“Parents and caregivers, we need your help. Please stress with your children the seriousness of any activity, statements or social media posts that threaten to harm our school community,� wrote Sharonica Hardin-Bartley, superintendent of University City schools, in a message Monday to families. “Again, we take such actions very seriously. If you see or hear something, please let an administrator in your school or the central office know as soon as possible.�

Jennings and Riverview Gardens school districts moved to virtual learning on Tuesday in response to the shooting. Gateway Science Academy, KIPP and Premier charter schools in St. Louis canceled classes.

All six KIPP schools closed Tuesday for students and families to “focus on self-care,� according to a message from Executive Director Kelly Garrett.

KIPP staff on Tuesday will undergo security training from California-based Joffe Emergency Services and have time for wellness activities, he added.

“We recognize the events of today are hard on everyone, especially educators and want to ensure KIPP staff have the space to process so we can continue to be fully present for our students,� Garrett wrote.

Students had just returned to KIPP St. Louis High School on Monday after two weeks of canceled in-person classes while officials tightened security procedures. Three students have brought guns this fall to the school at 706 North Jefferson Avenue in the Downtown West neighborhood.

Other incidents this fall have included temporary lockdowns at Mehlville and Oakville high schools in response to separate threats. Normandy High School shut down for one day after a student was found with an unloaded gun, a large fight broke out and an intruder who was later charged with trespassing.

The leaders of SLPS and Confluence Academies charter schools started Educators for Gun Safety earlier this year to address violence in the community. The campaign teamed up with libraries to pass out 250 free gun locks. The latest initiative added gun safety to school curriculum this semester, including teaching kids how to respond to shootings.

“Our kids’ lives are on the line,� Candice Carter-Oliver, CEO of Confluence Academies, said in a statement earlier this month. “The sad fact is we live in a world where many of our kids are surrounded by gun violence.�

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris contributed to this report.

Updated at 4 p.m.