JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools has given an "all-clear" after telling families of students at Normandy Village Elementary that they were being evacuated to Edward H. White High School Thursday morning due to a bomb threat.
"First, I want to assure you that all students and staff are safe," DCPS said in an initial message to parents/guardians of students at the school. "Again, all students and staff are safe."
DCPS says Normandy Village Elementary received a bomb threat through a phone call. Students were being evacuated to Ed White High School by bus "because student and staff safety is our first goal," the school district said in the message to families.
DCPS says police and bomb detection K9s completed a thorough inspection of the school's campus. Given the time of day, the school district says "we are going to provide lunch to Normandy Village students while they are at Ed White," and afterward, students will board buses back to Normandy Village.
"We anticipate that everyone will be back in their normal classrooms at Normandy Village by 1 p.m.," the school district stated in a later message to families. "We will give you an update once everyone is back at the school. Thanks again for your patience, and again, we will give you an update once all the children are back in class at Normandy Village."
Here's the initial full message sent to Normandy Village Elementary families:
"Hello Normandy Village families, this is Duval County Public Schools. First, I want to assure you that all students and staff are safe. Again, all students and staff are safe. However, the school did receive a phone call relaying a bomb threat to the school. Again, the school did receive a phone call relaying a threat of a bomb at the school. Because student and staff safety is our first goal, we are in the process of evacuating the school and busing the students to Ed White High School. Again, in an abundance of caution, the students and staff are being moved out of the school to Ed White High School. Once the school is evacuated, police and bomb detection dogs will complete a thorough inspection of the elementary school campus. At this time, please do not come to either school. For student safety, we will not be able to release children from Ed White at this time. If it becomes necessary, we will prepare for student and parent reunification, and we will provide those details at the appropriate time. For now, our objective is to move students from the school and ensure that everyone is safely accounted for at Ed White. As these events progress, we will keep you updated. Thank you for your patience as we take these steps for student safety, and we will stay in touch."
Here's the message sent to Normandy Village Elementary families after an "all clear" was given:
"Hello Normandy Village families, this is Duval County Public Schools calling with good news. Police have thoroughly searched the school with bomb detection K-9s, and the school is clear. Given the time of the day, we are going to provide lunch to Normandy Village students while they are at Ed White; following lunch, students will board buses back to Normandy Village. We anticipate that everyone will be back in their normal classrooms at Normandy Village by 1 p.m. We will give you an update once everyone is back at the school. Thanks again for your patience, and again, we will give you an update once all the children are back in class at Normandy Village."