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SANDY — Jordan High School was evacuated Thursday following a bomb threat.
The bomb threat came on the heels of a week of extra police officers patrolling the school because of undisclosed threats found written on a bathroom wall in the building.
About 1:30 p.m., the principal made an announcement on the school P.A. system telling them to evacuate the building like they would during a fire drill, according to students at the school.
Students were taken to the nearby Mountain America Exposition Center, 9575 S. State. Those who left their backpacks and other items in the school were told they could retrieve them after "the evacuation order is lifted and law enforcement have determined that the building is again safe for occupancy," according to a statement from Jordan High administrators.
Some students told KSL they were instructed to come back to the school on Friday, the first day of an extended four-day break, to pick up their items.
Sandy police said the building had been checked and was cleared by mid-afternoon. After school activities that Jordan High was scheduled to host, however, including girls basketball and an orchestra recital, were moved to other schools.
On Wednesday, about half of the approximately 2,000 students from Jordan High stayed home, according to the Canyons School District, the day that a threat was alleged to take place.
Although Principal Wendy Dau stated in a letter earlier in the week to students that neither the school nor Sandy police believed the threat was credible, extra officers were at the school on Tuesday and Wednesday as a precaution.
Jordan High has been evacuated as law enforcement personnel investigate an alleged bomb threat. To support law enforcement as they respond to this issue, and as a precautionary measure, we ask that parents do not come to the school until further notice.
— Canyons District (@canyonsdistrict) January 17, 2019
Thursday morning, Dau sent out a letter stating that a second message was found written on a bathroom wall.
"This is the second incident in a week of someone defacing public property on campus, which is a prosecutable crime — and we are asking for your help in identifying the student, or students, responsible," the letter states. "This latest message contained no threat, but in light of recent events, has caused anxiety for some students."
Although the threats through Thursday had not been considered credible, the school district said it wants to err on the side of caution. But district officials also note that those making the threats will be held accountable as it causes a huge disruption of the school and expends resources of the Sandy Police Department.
"These kinds of interruptions are becoming incredibly challenging for our schools," said district spokesman Jeff Haney. "But even when it’s not deemed credible, we still feel the impacts — students don’t come to school, there’s still a sense of unease in the community, and learning in classes slows down significantly."
