This Monday around 7 a.m. officials at Hollenbeck Middle School received an anonymous call making a bomb threat. Because this happened before students arrived at the school, Hollenbeck officials diverted bus traffic to Central Elementary. Students waited at Central Elementary for more than four hours while local police conducted a thorough school search.

The search involved various search techniques and took a substantial amount of time. According to a District official, the a search had a substantial financial impact on the District.

“It sucks money away from the District,” communications specialist Jennifer Henry said. “It does impose physical and financial impact on the District.”

The investigation and search for the perpetrator is still on-going, and District officials couldn’t comment on any leads. When caught, the perpetrator could face a Class C felony charge. According to Resource Officer Pat Fitzgerald, there are many factors that contribute to how the violator is prosecuted, including their age and the impact it has on the District. In addition to action by local law enforcement, the student will also face discipline from school officials.

This is the second bomb threat in two days for students and faculty at Hollenbeck Middle School. A similar call was made on Friday forcing a similar evacuation. A suspect in that bomb threat casehas been apprehended by local police. Currently, the search for the perpetrator of today’s bomb threat is yet to be complete, but District officials are not wary of a third bomb threat in the coming days.

“We don’t anticipate another bomb threat at this point,” Henry said. “The search will continue until the perpetrator is caught.”