False alarm
Highland Park High School reopens after bomb search comes up empty
It's business as usual at Highland Park High School today, less than 24 hours after a threatening note caused officials to send students home early. It was the second suspicious note in as many days, and an HPISD spokesperson called the decision to shut down campus at 2:40 pm a cautionary one.
Nevertheless, bomb squads replete with canine units combed the campus until late in the evening on Thursday, only to come up empty. In an email to parents alerting them of the regular schedule on Friday, HPISD called the two-note incident a prank.
Dear HPISD Parents & Staff,
Highland Park High School will be open tomorrow with regular hours.
The apparent prank that occurred today had regrettable results. Police and bomb squad officers spent many hours combing the campus. The bomb squad dogs picked up on the scent of chemicals that were determined to be harmless. However, the process was very time-consuming, and on the advice of safety officials, the building was evacuated as people were arriving for the volleyball banquet. As a result, the event was canceled.
The safety of our students, parents and staff members is a top priority, and we will continue to keep you informed.
We will continue to monitor the campus closely, and we encourage parents to talk to their children about how seriously any threats, written or otherwise, are taken on campus.
We are relieved that no one at Highland Park High School was in any apparent danger. It is most regrettable that an apparent prank had real consequences for our community.