Chartiers Valley Supt.: Bomb Threat 'Deemed Not Credible,' Cancels Classes At Middle And High Schools
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COLLIER TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Police are investigating a bomb threat that forced the middle and high schools in the Chartiers Valley School District to close for the day.
District officials say that threat was discovered Wednesday morning, just as some students were arriving for class. The district immediately notified parents through a phone message.
Police are not releasing many details about the investigation, but Collier Township Police immediately set up road blocks at every entrance onto campus.
Officers with K-9s were seen at the building as well.
The school district said in a statement posted to their website on Wednesday afternoon that classes will resume as scheduled on Thursday, Jan. 24. Plus, most evening activities will proceed as normal.
According to the statement from Superintendent Dr. Johannah Vanatta, the threat has been "deemed not credible."
The statement reads in part:
"We are grateful for our strong partnership with local law enforcement, and for their diligent efforts in keeping our schools safe. We are also thankful for the swift response by our dedicated faculty and staff whose efforts allowed us to evacuate over 1,000 people efficiently and safely today."
The parents of middle and high school students started receiving robo calls from the district early Wednesday to tell them classes were cancelled.
Many of the high schoolers had already boarded their buses, which district officials say were turned around and dropped the students back off at their stops.
Some parents tell KDKA that their children already arrived at the high school, only to be evacuated, put back on buses and sent home.
On Facebook, the district said it did manage to notify the middle schoolers before any of them boarded their buses. District officials said they continues to work with law-enforcement to investigate the threat.
They said: "As always, the safety of our students is our highest priority; Administration is working closely with local law enforcement."
According to the district, classes are running as normal today for their primary and intermediate schools.
KDKA talked with one parent of a fourth grader who said she was worried about sending her son to school.
"I would've been okay if the primary school actually had been shut down too, since it's in such close proximity," said parent Marisa DiBello. "And even if it wasn't no threat in that building, per se, if something happened at the high school, then getting those kids out of that building would have been tough."
Nearby South Fayette High School entered a "lockout mode," not allowing any visitors, as a result of the Char Valley bomb threat. The superintendent said he put the lockout in place as a precaution.
It has since been lifted.
Collier Township Police are investigating the incident. Scott Township and Bridgeville police were also on the scene.
KDKA continues to make calls into the Collier Township Police to find out more about the threat, but so far, we've been told there's no more information to release at this time.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.
