Students are returning to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Monroe, Connecticut, today, a day after the school was evacuated and children were sent home after a bomb threat was called in.
Supt. Dr. Joseph Erardi said during a public meeting on Wednesday evening that a secretary took the call shortly after 9:30 a.m.
Due to the "uniqueness of the call," the school was evacuated to the Jockey Hollow building on campus around 10:45 a.m. and parents were notified through reverse 911 calls, Erardi said.
Teachers told students they were practicing an evacuation drill. The children were sent home at noon and parents were urged to disclose only the necessary details to their kids.
Police said the building in Monroe has been cleared for students to return at the start of the school day today. No students are in danger, Erardi said.
Erardi said teachers will acknowledge the early dismissal in school this morning and will "make sure kids feel safe" but will not go into detail about the incident.
Officials did not elaborate on the phone call or the timing of the evacuation and dismissal.
Town officials said in a statement Wednesday that the incident was considered "no threat-low threat," but the superintendent acted out of an abundance of caution.
"All students and staff are safe," First Selectman Patricia Llodra said in the statement.
Students were brought to the neighboring Jockey Hollow school to await dismissal. The building and grounds were checked, and authorities found no evidence of an actual threat.
"Although there was little to no danger at any time with the alleged threat the decision was made to make sure that every precautionary step had been taken for the safety of the Sandy Hook staff members and students," Erardi said in a statement Wednesday. "This same decision would have been made for all other Newtown school."
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Students from the Sandy Hook School have been going to classes in the former Chalk Hill School in Monroe since January 2013, weeks after a gunman killed 20 first graders and six staff members during a rampage in their Newtown school.
The Newtown Recovery & Resiliency Team will provide counselors to parents and students who "experience emotional reactions and concerns" starting today between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 28 Trades Lane. Call 203-270-4612 for information on after-hours appointments.
Architects have designed plans to build a new school on the Newtown site, but construction has not started. It is expected to begin in spring 2015.
The investigation is ongoing.
