HERMANN – A bomb threat hoax that administrators earlier in the week had been cautioned about Thursday morning prompted the evacuation of Hermann High School and a lockdown of the middle and elementary schools.

In a formal statement issued early this afternoon, Superintendent Geoff Neill said a call was received regarding the threat, triggering the implementation of the district's protocol for responding to the situation. That involved students at HHS being removed from the building while those at the middle and elementary schools were kept inside under a lockdown.

Public school administrators had been alerted to the possibility of such a threat being received, according to Neill. “At approximately 10:45 a.m., the district received a threat that required us to take immediate action to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

“Earlier this week, we were notified by state agencies that hoax threats were circulating and that schools should be on the lookout for them in the coming days and weeks. This information was shared with building-level administration. When the threat was received, we immediately began implementing our established safety protocols and engaged with local law enforcement.”

Involved in the response were the Hermann Police Department, the Gasconade County Sheriff's Department and the Capitol Police, which provided the bomb-sniffing dog that was used to sweep the high school while the students were evacuated.

Classes resumed about 1:30 p.m. with students resuming their normal schedules for the rest of the day.