It’s easy to imagine a parent frozen with fear when they receive word of a bomb threat at their child’s school. Most people would only experience this in a horrible nightmare, but the members of Orono’s administrative staff weren’t afforded such luxury.

On Oct. 7, a handwritten note containing a bomb threat was discovered on Orono Middle School property. The extreme nature of the threat called for decisive action – an immediate evacuation of students and staff to the high school.

“You can’t ignore a threat,” OHS Principal Dave Benson said. “The stakes are just too high.”

Many of the middle school students were picked up by their parents just before lunch and those still left in the building were directed to stay in the gymnasium.

Benson said that the first thing they must do is assess the threat and immediately contact the Superintendent, Dr. Karen Orcutt.

The guests from the middle school were reported to have done well and the situation was under control the whole time.

“A lot of threats are done just to disrupt the school day,” Benson said. “If it’s gonna be done seriously then it’s just gonna happen – the notes are disruptive ploys.”

Even though it was the expectation of many people that the threats were in fact malicious pranks, that didn’t mean that they could be taken any less seriously. The district always has plans for these types of rare events and they have always went as practiced.

According to OMS Principal Dr. Patricia Wroten, the students remained calm and trusted the adults to direct them to safety. They followed orders and knew what the plan was ahead of time.

The ability to get quick updates in these situations is crucial, so a communication plan has been set up to streamline the process of updating parents during emergencies.

The investigation of the threat is still considered to be an open case by OPD. The ongoing nature of the investigation limits what specific information is available to the public. Details such as the exact wording of the note, where it was found, and if it seemed like it was written by a child are being withheld at this time.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, such as the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota Bomb Squad, will continue to keep students, staff and parents updated on any significant findings.

The day ended without any injury or property damage, and no suspect could be found.

Benson and Wroten both agreed that this appears to have been a one-day deal without any clear motivation beyond “disrupting the learning environment.”

Safety has always been a top priority in the district and at times like these it really shows. Parents can rest assured knowing their children will continue to receive the best education possible from some of the most caring people in the entire community. Guaranteed.