Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green says a student from the Atlantic Middle School is in custody for making a bomb threat that forced the evacuation of the school and cancellation of classes for today. Green says the district received word an “explosive event” would take place at the Middle School. Students and staff were evacuated next door, to the Nishna Valley YMCA. Green said a suspect was identified and when approached for questioning an from authorities but was caught. Green says the suspect has confessed to making the threat, which he confirmed was not credible.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Amstein said aside from the legal ramifications of making a Terroristic Threat, the student faces severe disciplinary action from the school district itself. He said “Anytype of behavior like this is a pretty severe violation of (school) board policy, and the board has the authority to expel a student for an entire school year (365 days).”

Amstein says the evacuation went as planned, noting that any threat is handled as authentic until proven otherwise. The threat which occurred today he says, happened during the lunch hour, which disrupted classes and the lunch period. Amstein says the evacuation was orderly and each student was accounted for at all times.

Some questions were raised as to why the Washington Elementary School, which is just up the hill from the Middle School, was not evacuated. Amstein said they based their evacuation on recommendations from the State Fire Marshall’s Office and Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green.

He says classes are expected to resume tomorrow at the school.