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BOSTON (AP) — A school safety group says Massachusetts had more hoax bomb threats during the last school year than any other state.
And state police say the count of 135 by the Educator's School Safety Network is probably an underestimate.
Officials say school threats, including bomb threats, are increasing nationwide. Robocalls allow many of the threats to reach multiple schools at once.
For police and schools, it's become a frustrating problem as it uses more and more valuable resources.
Two years ago, public safety officials began training school administrators to assess and respond to threats. Depending on the type of threat, number of schools involved and other factors, officials decide whether to evacuate and call in a bomb squad or whether to shelter in place and do a more limited search.
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