Tyrone Area Middle and High school went into a lockdown on Thursday, November 19 for over two hours. The reason for the lockdown, according to police and school district officials, was the report of a bomb threat at the Tyrone Area Middle School.

Tyrone Superintendent Cathy Harlow said that threat was reported by a student to a faculty member, but has not released the specific content of the threat.  According to Harlow, law enforcement and district officials determined that the threat was not credible, but a sweep of the building by Tyrone and state police with bomb sniffing dogs was done as a precaution.

“We had a situation, we responded appropriately based on the advice of law enforcement, the incident is over and everyone is safe,” said Superintendent Cathy Harlow in an email interview with the Eagle Eye. “We will continue to take every precaution to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”

At around 12:45 teachers were told to keep all their students in their respective classrooms. About a third of the high school was finishing lunch and was asked to stay in the cafeteria. At 1:04, the Tyrone Area School District posted an update on its Facebook Page to inform parents that the security sweep was going on and students were in lockdown. Students stayed in their classrooms until approximately 2:30 when the lockdown was lifted and high school students went to their eighth period classes.

A lack of detailed information at the time caused some parents and students to worry. Only after the lockdown and the police completed their sweep did the students and public receive additional information.

“I just wanted to know what was going on,” said TASD student Allison Hosko.

“Communication is extremely difficult in these situations,” said Harlow, “[The administration] attempts to provide information as quickly as possible based on the situation. We also follow the advice of law enforcement regarding communication during such an event.”

Later, on the district website, Harlow posted a statement to parents stating “We recognize your urgency to have information as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, at times, we are unable to provide information until we can ensure it is appropriate to do so. In these situations, we appreciate your patience and trust that we will take the appropriate steps to keep your children safe based on the circumstances and advice of law enforcement.”

The lockdown also affected after school activities. All practices and other after school activities were cancelled. According to Harlow, because the lockdown could have taken longer than it did, administration decided to cancel activities during the security sweep rather than be forced to cancel them at the last minute.

While some parents were cautious and worried about what was going on, others felt confident in Tyrone’s administration.

“I think the school district handled the issue properly. They notified parents of the lockdown and updated parents as they were able to share additional information,” commented TASD parent Lori McGovern.