For the third time in less than two weeks, schools on St. Thomas were disrupted by a series of bomb threats Wednesday morning — the latest in what officials describe as a “stressful and exhausting” cycle of false alarms that have triggered repeated evacuations, forced lockdowns, and taxed already thin security and emergency resources.
According to the Virgin Islands Police Department, threats were made to five campuses: Lockhart K-8 School, Charlotte Amalie High School, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Edith Williams Alternative Academy, and Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School
The FBI and local police cleared all schools later in the morning, finding no explosives.
Education Department Director of School Security Irvin Mason Sr. told the Source Wednesday that the pattern of calls has been intensifying. “It’s been hectic — very hectic,” Mason said. “Every time you get a bomb threat, you have to evacuate the school, even if you think it’s a prank. You can’t take chances when you’re dealing with hundreds of students and staff.”
The calls, Mason said, have consistently come through 911 rather than directly to the schools, triggering an immediate cascade of notifications. “Once 911 gets the call, they call me, then I contact the principal, the superintendent, the commissioner, and my public information officer,” he said. “It’s a chain reaction, and once we move, the evacuation process starts.”
Wednesday’s sequence began with a report involving four campuses, followed shortly after by a separate call naming BCB. Mason said that because two of those schools — Lockhart and Charlotte Amalie High — had undergone a complete morning sweep by security staff, monitors, and police K-9 units before the threat came in, he made the decision to lock down instead of evacuate.
“We had just finished searching every student, every backpack, every classroom,” Mason said. “We knew nothing was there, so instead of putting kids out in the heat again, we went into lockdown. No one in, no one out. It worked well and kept things calm.”
At other campuses, evacuation procedures were carried out with police and emergency personnel on scene. “You use up a lot of resources every time,” Mason said. “You have to move hundreds of children to safe areas, get water, bring in VIPD and the dogs, fire and rescue — it’s a full response. It’s not something you can do halfway.”
Mason confirmed that the FBI is assisting VIPD with tracing the calls, and that investigators “may have leads.” He didn’t share specific details, citing the active investigation, but said he believes things are moving. “We’re confident there’s progress being made,” he said. “We’ll get there.”
The Virgin Islands Police Department said in a statement that it “will leave no stone unturned” in its investigation and vowed to prosecute those responsible “to the fullest extent of the law.” Commissioner Mario Brooks urged residents to remain vigilant but calm. “Our children must not bear the burden of fear because of someone’s reckless act,” Brooks said
Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington in a statement Wednesday said the repeated disruptions have been “deeply troubling and extremely disruptive” to teaching and learning. “We are committed to our students’ safety and are working diligently to ensure they can receive the education they deserve, without further interruption,” she said.
The Virgin Islands Board of Education also issued a statement condemning the threats as “irresponsible, unlawful, and jeopardizing the safety and well-being of our education community.” The Board emphasized that under its student discipline policy, making a bomb threat constitutes a Level IV offense — the most serious category — and could result in expulsion, restitution for damages, and criminal prosecution.
Lockhart K-8 has been recently targeted twice before — on Nov. 7 and again on Nov. 10. Mason said those evacuations went smoothly but strained staff and students, particularly at schools with younger children. “It takes a toll,” he said. “You have to keep them outside until the all-clear comes, and you don’t want that to become normal.”
Despite the disruption, Mason said the department’s goal is to strengthen readiness while maintaining a sense of calm. “We take every call seriously,” he said. “We can’t afford not to. But we also don’t want fear to control our schools.”
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the threats to call 911, the Virgin Islands Police Department at 340-774-2211, or Crime Stoppers USVI at 800-222-TIPS.
St. Croix Source
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