School Resource Officer Josh Marrs of the Longview Police Department visits with students during the first day of class Aug. 11 at Spring Hill Primary School.

Once upon a time, students’ careless words overheard in classrooms and hallways could be ignored.

Each time we’re confronted with the horror of the latest school massacre, those days fade further and further away.

The recent arrests of three East Texas students — one at Pine Tree High School and two at Judson Middle School — should send a clear message: School threats are serious business now more than ever.

Longview police apprehended and charged the Pine Tree student and one Judson student this past week with threat of exhibition or use of a firearm after the juveniles’ threats were investigated and deemed valid, according to a statement from the police department.

This week, a second Judson student was removed from the Longview ISD campus and charged with terroristic threat after police said he made a threat against the school.

“The district will continue to take any an all threats to the safety and well-being of the Longview ISD community with the utmost seriousness,” LISD said in a statement after the second Judson incident. “Our administration will press criminal charges against anyone making threats against students, staff or our schools.”

In its statement, Pine Tree ISD was just as blunt:

“Ensuring that safety means Pine Tree ISD must address all statements of a threatening nature immediately and aggressively,” the district said. “While we do realize many statements are made in haste and without thinking it through, these statements cannot be taken lightly and must be dealt with in a way to ensure student and staff safety.”

Our message to parents echoes another point made by Longview ISD:

“Our administration again strongly urges families to inform their children that threatening language will not be tolerated, whether they are verbal or electronic messages.”

Simply put, parents across East Texas must do everything they can to make their children understand that threats against a school, school employee or fellow student have serious consequences.

We also urge our local schools to consider formal talks or presentations to their students spelling out those consequences.

Districts have taken steps this school year to increase security in the wake of the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. In some cases, that’s included adding school resource officers.

Yes, schools aren’t messing around.

Vigilance against possible dangers is as high as it’s ever been. That’s good news for parents’ peace of mind, but all kinds of trouble for students with bad intentions or those who simply don’t use care with what comes out of their mouths.