Local and state authorities were among those to respond Friday to what Schools Superintendent Bill Sroufe called a “viable threat” at Patrick County High School.
Local and state authorities joined with school officials to respond to a “viable threat” at the Patrick County High School on Friday, according to Schools Superintendent Bill Sroufe.
The incident started to unfold around noon, when Sroufe said a note was found in a bathroom. It stated a bomb in the school was set to explode at 2:30 p.m. Friday.
Upon finding the note, officials immediately followed safety procedures in place, Sroufe said, and explained that the school initially was put on lock down. Students then were evacuated to the football field.
Initially at the scene, authorities positioned their vehicles across the driveway to control traffic.
Parents who wanted to pick up their youngsters early were directed to stop near the football field. School staff then summoned youngsters from the field as needed.
Due to the chilly temperature and a lack of restrooms, students were bused from there to the Rotary Building in Stuart.
When arriving at the high school, authorities directed bus drivers up to the school to turn around. Buses then lined up along the driveway, and students were loaded directly from the field. The process to relocate youngsters took about 30 minutes to complete.
After school activities at both the middle and high school levels were canceled Friday.
