Sauk Prairie High School evacuated after bomb threat

Sauk Prairie High School was evacuated Jan. 28. due to a bomb threat. An hour and a half after the students were evacuated, they were allowed back into the school. According to Jerry Strunz, Chief of the Sauk Prairie Police Department, the FBI is involved in investigating the incident.

Only residents with children in the district were notified at via e-mail at 12:10 p.m. The message read: 

“Today, at 10:55 [a.m.], the high school received a phone call during which a bomb threat was made. The threat indicated that the bomb would go off in one hour from the time the call was made. Administration made immediate contact with law enforcement, and, as a team, determined it best to evacuate high school students to the middle school to clear the school to allow for law enforcement to conduct a thorough search of the building. High School staff were directed to stay with their students at the middle school to ensure their safety and well being.”

It ended with, “We ask that families do not come to the high school or middle school at this time so as to allow law enforcement to focus on securing the buildings. We will be sharing communication as information is known.”

No information was provided to the general public by the police.

At 1:44 p.m. the District again e-mailed parents giving the all clear.

The message said, in part: “Law enforcement has completed the search of the high school and has indicated all is clear.”

A Madison news station received a tip about the bomb threat and posted a photo of the e-mail to their website. By 12:46 p.m. Madison news outlets were reporting on the bomb threat.

The Star News was able to confirm the bomb threat and obtain a copy of the 1:44 p.m. e-mail on Jan. 30, two days later. The remainder of the e-mails were obtained from a parent on the 31st.