School threats attract Homeland Security attention

Update@5:09 p.m.:

Parents and students should be alert and report anything, state says.

The number of threats received by school districts around the state prompted Ohio Homeland Security to notify the state’s Department of Education on Friday, according to a spokesperson.

Kim Norris, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education, said Homeland Security reached out on Friday to let the state know of the districts that were threatened.

That prompted the ODE to contact all of the state’s school districts. Multiple school districts received threats on Friday, both in the Dayton area and around the state.

“Schools should continue with their established safety plans, working with local law enforcement,” Norris said. “Parents and students should always be alert and report anything that may seem unusual to law enforcement and the school district.”

A bomb threat came into Meadowdale High School just after 11 a.m. Friday, said Jill Moberley, spokesperson for Dayton Public Schools. Students were moved to an alternate location for lunch while the building was being checked.

Students re-entered the school shortly after 1 p.m. A little more than 650 students attend Meadowdale.

“We always consider the safety and well-being of our students and staff,” Moberley said. “These incidents are taken seriously. That those who perpetrate these acts will be dealt with severely. We have a protocol in place to keep our students and staff safe.”

At about the same time Friday morning, Bell Creek Intermediate School in Bellbrook received a threat, prompting the building to be evacuated.

Students and staff were relocated to a nearby stadium complex, according to Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools Superintendent Dr. Keith St. Pierre. The district was given the “all clear” just before 2 p.m.

Bell Creek is home to about 600 students in grades 3 through 5.

“You just disrupt the lives of young kids and scare them, parents and staff. It’s totally unacceptable,” St. Pierre said. “I hope they catch who’s doing it. … Law enforcement and the fire department all did a great job.”

In West Chester Twp., police were called to Endeavor Elementary in the Lakota Local Schools for a reported bomb threat at 11:30 a.m. The building was evacuated of all students and staff.

Endeavor Elementary houses grades two through six. Bomb-sniffing police canines cleared the building just before 2 p.m.

It was initially reported that Ferguson Hall in Beavercreek had been evacuated Friday morning due to a threat.

But it was later corrected that the building was evacuated because of a previously scheduled rapid release drill, which is designed for students and school staff to know how to evacuate the building and where to go in the event of an emergency.

The drill was coordinated by Beavercreek police and parents were notified of the drill in advance.

On Thursday, Beavercreek High School was evacuated because of a threat, but police did not specify the nature of the threat. The threat prompted the cancellation of all practices and games — home and away — for the day.

Statewide on Friday, Liberty-Benton elementary and middle school, North Royalton High School, Furry Elementary School and Licking Heights High School all received threats and were evacuated, according to multiple media outlets.

Also Friday morning, the Chicago Police Department investigated a reported bomb threat at Wrigley Field. Nothing suspicious was found.

Earlier report:

Police in Dayton and Bellbrook are responding to school bomb threats.

Meadowdale High School in Dayton Public Schools received a bomb threat at 11 a.m. today. Students have been moved to a different location.

Police in Bellbrook confirmed a phone threat at Bell Creek Intermediate School today about noon. The Bell Creek school officials are waiting for a K9 to come and clear the school. At this point, police say the district has no plans to cancel school.

Further south in West Chester Twp., police were called to Endeavor Elementary, 4400 Smith Road, within the Lakota Local Schools, for a reported bomb threat at 11:30 a.m. The building was evacuated of all students and staff.

Bomb-sniffing dogs from the Miami University Police Department K-9 squad cleared the building at 1:50 p.m., according to Barb Wilson, West Chester Twp. spokeswoman.

There was not a bomb threat earlier today at Ferguson Hall in Beavercreek, and students were not in danger, said a school official, who previously confirmed that there was threat.

The spokesman said he misspoke when he confirmed to WHIO that students had been evacuated because of a bomb threat. The building was evacuated because of a previously scheduled rapid release drill, which is designed for students and school staff to know how to evacuate the building and where to go in the event of an emergency.

The drill was coordinated by Beavercreek police, the spokesman said, noting that parents were notified of the drill in advance. Calls to Beavercreek police were not confirmed.

We’re working to bring you further information on these threats and will update this story when we have more.