Another bomb threat hits Glen Meadow School

VERNON-The latest in an epidemic of bomb threats in Vernon schools was discovered early last Friday morning at Glen Meadow Middle School as school buses were arriving with students. At approximately 7:45 a.m., the latest threat was reported to administrators at Glen Meadow, who immediately called the Vernon Township Police Department. The arriving students were directed to remain on their buses for about ten minutes before disembarking and going to a secured area outside the school while police checked the building. "The school was checked by police and deemed safe to re-enter at approximately 8:30 a.m.," said Anthony Macerino, Vernon Township superintendent of schools. According to a statement issued by the Vernon Board of Education the threat was discovered in a restroom. No further information was offered as investigation of the incident is ongoing, with no suspects and no arrests. A week earlier, a threat had been written with eye liner on a mirror in a girls' restroom in Vernon Township High School. A 15-year-old girl was later arrested and charged with making the threat. This time, the threat was discovered before children arrived at the school. "Only faculty and staff were in the school at the time and they evacuated with the students," added Macerino. Vernon police said the spate of threats would not lead to complacence, but might lead to changes to the way they are handled. "Because there have been so many of these threats we may have to reevaluate the process by which we operate," said Officer Keith Kimkowski, school resource officer K-8. "However, we have to investigate each case. We go through a certain protocol and then make an evaluation on a case by case basis," he went on. "In this latest incident the word ‘bomb' was found written in small letters in a school bathroom and could have been there from the night before. The school is cleaned every night, so we are checking with the janitors," he added. The day counted as a regular day of instruction.