Central Valley High School cleared after bomb threat

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office has cleared Central Valley High School after a bomb threat was found written on a bathroom wall earlier today. District Spokeswoman Melanie Rose said deputies and a K9 unit searched the premises and found the building was safe. Students and staff can return to the school before 3:30 p.m. to retrieve their belongings. After 3:30, the building will be locked and students can get their belongings before first period tomorrow, Rose said. The school was evacuated just after 9 a.m. and classes for the rest of the day were cancelled. Students, who spent over an hour standing in the rain, were bused to a nearby church at East 16th Avenue and South Sullivan Road. Rose said all except about 100 students were picked up at the church before the end of the day. Those who remained were taken back to the school around 2 p.m. The school utilized its website and social media sites to get out the word about the evacuation, Rose said. The district does not have an emergency alert system. An email about the incident will be sent to parents later today. That email system can only be used from inside the building, Rose said, which is why one was not sent out during the evacuation. Rose credited students with cell phones for spreading the word to parents as some arrived at the church before students got there. “Very few (students) evacuated without their cell phones,” Rose said.