Students and employees at Columbus High School and New Hope Middle School were evacuated from their respective buildings after receiving bomb threats this morning.
Those at CHS were cleared out of the building after a caller issued the threat at 8:08 a.m. The administrative assistant who fielded the call then alerted administrators, Columbus Municipal School District public information officer Mary Pollitz said.
CMSD’s crisis management plan was immediately implemented. Columbus Police Department was notified, and students were evacuated “within minutes,” Pollitz said.
“We relocated students to the football field,” Pollitz told The Dispatch. “Due to the cold weather, we are moving students to another location while CPD searches the building. Our priority was to first get the students off-site. They are now en route to their relocation site.”
Students will return to classes once the building has been deemed safe by CPD.
Early this morning, NHMS received a similar threat and students were evacuated as school officials took immediate action, Lowndes County School District PIO Chelsea Vincent said.
“Students have been relocated and will not be returning until the building has been cleared,” Vincent said. “There have been similar threats at other schools across the state. Our district is committed to the safety and education of all our students. We will provide an update once one is available.”
Vincent said Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is working with the LCSD school resource officers as well as dogs from Columbus Air Force Base to clear the building.
Both threats are being investigated.
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