PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — The superintendents of every school district in Pike County will meet Thursday with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI as a string of bomb threats continues to disrupt schools across the county, Western Local Superintendent Brock Brewster told families Wednesday night.
Brewster’s message came hours after a bomb threat forced the evacuation of Western’s own campus Wednesday morning. Students were moved outside, and school buses were held while personnel searched classrooms, lockers, and locker rooms, and the district said it would notify parents once the building was cleared.
“I want to make sure to keep everyone in the loop on any information with these threats we’re all dealing with,” Brewster wrote. He cautioned families not to expect a quick end: “In reality, I don’t know that there’s going to be a quick solution because there are lots of schools dealing with the same thing, but I want everyone to know that we are all working to put an end to this craziness.”
Wednesday’s evacuation at Western followed a reported threat that put Waverly City Schools on a two-hour delay Tuesday. Pike County Career Technology Center has fielded multiple bomb threats in recent weeks, each investigated and determined to be a hoax, with sheriff’s deputies monitoring the campus. In neighboring Ross County, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center cleared another bomb threat before students arrived Tuesday. Officials have not said whether any of the threats are connected.
“I’m not very good at accepting that we are at the mercy of someone who wants to cause panic and disruption in our schools,” Brewster wrote, asking each family to pray for Western and for every school in the county. “It’s tough enough being a kid and parent today without having to worry about these kinds of things. Our kids deserve to have a good school experience, so I’m coveting your prayers for all of the kids in our area.”
“We will let the FBI and law enforcement do their thing, and we will do ours,” Brewster wrote. “Praying for a regular old Thursday tomorrow.” The district has announced no change to Thursday’s schedule, and no arrests had been announced Wednesday night.
