Bath-area schools were closed Monday after a “safety concern.”
In a brief post on social media and the district website, RSU 1 announced there would be no school Monday.
Bath police Chief Andrew Booth said the decision to close schools was made after the department was “made aware of a third-hand report of some statements made by an unknown person” related to safety at local schools.
Later that evening, police said they believed the threat wasn’t credible and that schools would open Tuesday. Booth declined to say more about the investigation, what the concerning statement was, or what police know about the person who allegedly made the statement.
“We will continue our investigation into this incident and address them appropriately with the subject responsible, who we expect is a juvenile. Because of this, we will be limited in what information we can share,” Booth said in a statement on social media.
RSU 1 includes Bath Middle, Dike Newell, Fisher Mitchell, Morse High, Phippsburg Elementary, Woolwich Central and Bath Tech.
Parents in neighboring MSAD 75, the school district covering Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Harpswell and Topsham, were alerted of additional patrols in the district Monday.
According to a message sent to parents, the district was “made aware of a safety concern in another town. While there is no implied or direct threat to MSAD 75, we are taking extra precautions and have arranged for additional patrols in our district out of an abundance of caution.”
Messages left for the RSU1 superintendent were not returned Monday.
“We would like to remind everyone that words matter, and statements involving school safety are taken very seriously,” Booth said.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.