Police respond to threat at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK; no bomb found
Students at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School were sent home Friday morning after officials learned of a bomb threat at the campus, but school officials said nothing was found in the building, according to a statement from the superintendent.
The threat was received early Friday morning. School officials evacuated the roughly 1,500 students to Mattlin Middle School before they were sent home.
A statement from Superintendent Lorna Lewis sent about 10:30 a.m. Friday said "the investigation of the high school is now complete and it was determined that their [police] search of the building has yielded negative results.
"The students are being sent home on school buses on their traditional routes and a shuttle will be provided from Mattlin Middle School to the high school for students parked there. On behalf of the school district, we are very grateful for the swift action and professionalism [of] our administrators, teachers and staff, and the full cooperation we received from students and parents throughout this process," the statement read.
High school students were sent home because the cafeteria would not be up and running by the time they returned from the middle school, officials said.
Nassau County police confirmed the investigation at the school located at 50 Kennedy Dr., Plainview. The district had advised parents early Friday not to come to the middle school to pick up their children.
An early post on the district's website said "patrol officers and canine units are working through the building and analyzing the credibility of the threat . . . Please know that our high school students are safe at Mattlin Middle School," read the post. "We appreciate your patience while [we] work through this situation. We will continue to provide you with updates."
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
