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Students evacuated after bomb threat at junior high
Students were evacuated from the junior high school shortly after classes began Friday, following discovery of a bomb threat on the overnight phone messages left at the school.
The students were sent to the high school where they will be held until the building is considered cleared. Bomb-sniffing dogs from Mountain Home AFB were requested to go through the building.
Asst. Supt. of Schools Doug Johnson said he anticipated students would be returning to class roughly around the noon hour. Parents are being encouraged to keep their children in school and not pull them out because of the threat. One school official said pulling students out simply encourages future threats.
Johnson said the threat was discovered while staff was going through the overnight phone messages. He was not immediately aware if the threat indicated a bomb actually was at the school, or was going to be placed at the school.
Police, fire and ambulance crews are on scene as part of the standard procedure for bomb threats, and the Department of Homeland Security has been notified. Should the caller be identified the individual faces not only state and federal felony charges, but also reimbursement for the costs of emergency crews that respond, a figure that typically runs about $5,000 (and for which parents are often held responsible).
The threat was the third one at the junior this year. During the fall two threats were made on consecutive days. In addition, a rumor -- totally unfounded -- went through the school last fall that a student had a gun at the school. A number of parents removed their children from the school during all three of those incidents.