Classes cancelled at St. Francis H.S. after bomb threat discovered

ST. FRANCIS (WITI) -- Classes were cancelled at St. Francis High School on Tuesday, March 25th after a threatening message was discovered.

We have learned the message was a bomb threat discovered inside the high school.

Senior Kayla Dulka says students and staff members at St. Francis High School didn't take the threat lightly.

"I feel like this one was more serious than the others we've had since they are not telling us what the message said or where it was versus the other ones. Being sent home shook me up more because every other time we just evacuated and went back to school. It's insane. They don't understand it affects other people differently. It freaks people out. It freaks parents out, because they are supposed to drop their kids off at school thinking they are safe. I'm set to graduate on June 12th. I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to. Having bad weather this winter and having to make up a lot of days is already stressful," Dulka said.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office responded to the school to assist with a sweep of the building and grounds. Police and K9 officers were on scene as well.

"All school districts in the state of Wisconsin are required to have crisis response plans. We have a plan like that, so we followed our steps and went through it. Staff and student safety is paramount. Students were searched on the way out, because they had entered the building," Superintendent Dr. John Thomsen said.

Dr. Thomsen says officials communicated with parents through a phone messenger system. They worked to turn around students en route to school, and students who had already arrived were gathered together in the school's lobby before they were searched and evacuated.

All after school activities and parent-teacher conferences scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled.

Officials have determined the building is safe to resume classes on Wednesday, March 26th.

Parent-teacher conferences have been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Parent-teacher conferences at Willow Glen Primary School and Deer Creek Intermediate School will remain as scheduled for March 25th.

The "Sophomore-Junior Think College Night" has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library media center.

Information for rescheduling classes missed on Tuesday will be made available at a later date.

A statement sent out by school officials says: "Threats to the student body, staff and/or the facilities are taken very seriously. Individuals who make such threats will face considerable disciplinary action up to and including expulsion and criminal charges."

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the St. Francis Police Department at (414) 481-2232.

A reward is available through Crime Stoppers. Call (608) 373-6227.