Police Declare Pine-Richland High School Campus Safe After Bomb Threat Investigated

Pine-Richland High School was declared safe late Tuesday afternoon after police investigated a bomb threat found in a high school bathroom.

"The Northern Regional Police Department completed a sweep of the high school campus and declared it safe," the school district announced through its rapid-response system.

High school students were evacuated about 1 p.m. to the neighboring Pine-Richland Middle School as police swept the building. K-9 police cars were seen leaving the campus about 4 p.m.

Northern Regional Police Chief T. Robert Amann could not be reached for comment.

The high school is closed for the evening and all after-school activities were canceled.

"School operations will be back to normal for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011. Students and parents will be allowed back in the building at 6:30 a.m. We understand that students might have left assignments or study materials at school and that will be taken into consideration," wrote Rachel Hathhorn, communications director for the district, in her email message to parents.

Here is Pine-Richland Patch's earlier coverage of the story as it unfolded: 

THIRD UPDATE: is closed for the evening and all after-school activities are canceled as police finish up their investigation of a bomb threat that caused students to be evacuated to the middle school earlier this afternoon.

The high school doors are locked and the few students who arrived at the front door asking to come in to gather their belongings were turned away.

SECOND UPDATE: As of 4 p.m., Northern Regional police no longer were blocking the entrances to the campus of Pine-Richland High School, but officers remained at the school to investigate a bomb threat.

We are waiting to get a statement from the police chief.

FIRST UPDATE: Dismissal time at Pine-Richland's high school and middle schools remains the same as usual, despite an evacuation because of a bomb threat.

Here is what the district said in its second message:

"We wanted to let you know that dismissal time will be during its usual time at around 2:25 p.m. However, students are being dismissed from the middle school. We encourage bus riders to proceed with taking the bus. Anyone who drove to school will be delayed getting home. If you were picking your child up originally, you must enter the Logan Road entrance to the middle school. After-school activities on the high school campus are being canceled for today."

Earlier story:

students were moved to the middle school this afternoon after a bomb threat was found in a high school restroom, according to a message from the district.

"Police are conducting a thorough sweep of the building, and we anticipate they will deem the building safe to occupy in a few minutes," an email alert stated, referring to .

The administration moved the students to  as a precaution, according to an email from Pine-Richland Communications Director Rachel Hathhorn.

The district is asking parents not to pick up their children early or call the schools.

When the rapid-response system is activated, parents are notified through email, phone messages and an announcement on the district's website. Initially, messages are going to high school parents only. A district-wide message will go out later.

Keep checking back with Pine-Richland Patch for updates.