Half Moon Bay High School students and staff were evacuated Tuesday morning while sheriff's deputies investigated reports of a bomb threat.
School officials said the campus was evacuated out of an abundance of caution and asked parents to not come to the school unless they are notified.
"This allows us to maintain a safe environment for our students and staff, as well as respond quickly to any emergency communication," the school wrote in a statement.
Sheriff's deputies eventually cleared the campus after determining the threats were not credible.
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Cabrillo Unified School District Superintendent Sean McPhetridge issued the following statement to the school community:
"Today, Half Moon Bay High School was evacuated to safe sites outside on campus around 9:30 AM. The Sheriff’s Office had received a call from a community member earlier this morning, and the community member called in to report they had heard about rumors of a bomb threat at Half Moon Bay High School.
Staff had spoken with students last week about this rumor and worked with our School Resource Officer to investigate the rumor, and together they had determined the threats to be unsubstantiated and not credible.
That said, because of the call to Sheriffs today and in the interest of acting out of an abundance of caution, students were evacuated out of their classrooms so a bomb sweep can be conducted to put everyone's minds at ease and verify there are no concerns.
Due to the length of time required to conduct the sweep properly, at 11:30 AM the high school called an Early Release, and thus students were able to leave campus in a safe and orderly manner.
The students and staff of Half Moon Bay High School should be commended for their safe and thoughtful cooperation with the San Mateo County Sheriffs who are conducting a professional and thorough safety check.
We also send thanks to our families, students, and staff for their patience and cooperation during our efforts to ensure everyone's safety."
