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Highland High School in Gilbert is expected to reopen at 1 p.m. after being put on lockdown for a bomb threat before the start of classes on Monday, police said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what, if anything, was found during a law-enforcement sweep of the school. Police began leaving the campus just before noon.

Gilbert police said they received an “unsubstantiated bomb threat against Highland High School” just before 7 a.m. The school was placed on lockdown shortly after, and students already at school were initially held in place.

No other students, faculty or employees were allowed on school grounds until law enforcement completed a search of the buildings and campus, said Sgt. Bill Balafas, a spokesman for the Gilbert Police Department.

Students who were on campus were bused to Gilbert High School, but a power outage there prompted officials to reroute them to Highland Junior High, according to a message on Highland High’s website.

In groups of three, empty school buses entered the school grounds and exited with students waving and hollering from windows.

Glen Smith, whose son is a freshman at Highland High, said the situation was “nerve-wracking.” He was among a group of parents standing on the corner of Highland Hawk Drive and Guadalupe Road, anxious for a glimpse of their children.

“I’m just waiting until I know I can see my son,” Smith said.

Smith’s son called him after being locked in place in the nearby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ seminary building with about 100 students. They sheltered in place until officers could escort them to buses while the school was searched. Students had to leave their bags behind, Smith said. 

Parents were initially told that they couldn’t pick up their children and that buses would take them back to school to retrieve their belongings once police determined it was safe.

“I don’t care about his stuff, I just want to get my son,” Smith said.

Return to azcentral.com for updates. 

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