Editor’s Note: This story has been updated at 4:26 p.m. to reflect the latest information from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
Police issued an all clear message on Wednesday afternoon after Carrboro High School was evacuated hours earlier due to a bomb threat emailed to the district.
After overseeing a response with law enforcement to remove students and staff from the campus, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools dismissed affected students for the rest of the day. An all clear was given for both the high school and nearby Culbreth Middle School at 1:39 p.m. The Carrboro Police Department says it is investigating the threat.
“Thank you, everyone, for your calmness, quick-thinking, attention and patience throughout this situation,” read a release from CHCCS.
Students who drove to school and were dismissed earlier in the day will now be able to access the school parking lot to retrieve their vehicles. Staff members are now also able to return to school grounds.
Afterschool activities, practices and events at the school “may still take place,” according to CHCCS, but the district said to expect additional updates from activity leaders or coaches. Dismissal of students at Culbreth and afterschool activities there will operate on normal schedules.
In addition, CHCCS confirmed school would take place on a normal schedule on Thursday, November 30.
An alert shared by the district’s communications department shortly after 10:15 a.m. said its office received an emailed bomb threat that mentioned Carrboro High School. The Carrboro Police Department later specified that the email was received just after 9 a.m. and “made specific threats against Carrboro High School.” The department then worked with CHCCS administrators to create a plan and evacuate all students and staff to the athletic fields south of the main building. All students and staff were reported as safe Wednesday morning, and Carrboro Police later said officers found no suspicious items in their searches of the school grounds.
CHCCS announced at 10:53 a.m. all Carrboro High School students would be dismissed for the rest of the day. Students boarded onto school buses at the athletic fields and were taken to Culbreth Middle School to be reunited with families and guardians.
“The dismissal of Carrboro High School students is underway,” wrote Chief Communications Officer Andy Jenks in the latest message issued to the community. “Thank you in advance for your continued patience, as this is a time-consuming process ensuring that each individual Carrboro High School student is accounted for and safely dismissed to a parent or guardian.”
Anyone with information about the threat is asked to call Lt. Trey Kennedy of the Carrboro Police Department at 919-918-7412, Crime Stoppers at 919-942-7515 or the CHCCS tipline at 844-572-9669.
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