Bomb scare forces district to evacuate

WAXAHACHIE - At approximately 8:40 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 6 a bomb threat was made via a verbal report to the Howard 8^th Grade Center. 

All students were evacuated outside where they were accounted for and moved to either the Solis Gymnasium at the Waxahachie Ninth Grade Academy or the Waxahachie High School if they were a special needs child.

Waxahachie Police Department arrived on the scene and requested a bomb sniffing canine conduct a search throughout the 8^th Grade Center.

Lunch was served to the students at the Ninth Grade Academy at 10:45 a.m. according to Waxahachie Independent School District Public Relations Director Nicole Mansell.

Fifteen minutes later the WPD released the school back to district officials where their students loaded buses after lunch to return to school until regular end of day dismissal.

The bomb-sniffing dog failed to find any explosives in the school.

"Special thanks to John Aune and his staff at the Ninth Grade Academy for taking care of the 8^th grade needs, Tracey Pim and her team for providing lunch and Gary Coffey and his bus staff for transporting the students," said Mansell.