Families of Normal Community High School students are now being permitted to pick up their children after an unspecified threat led to the cancellation of classes on Tuesday.
Students and staff at Normal Community High School are not being allowed into the building as the school and law enforcement investigate the threat.
Normal Police said in a joint news release with Unit 5 the school received a call at about 8 a.m. reporting a threat.
"The information raised safety concerns for the school and those inside," the statement said.
In a communication sent to Normal Community High School families shortly before 8:30 a.m., the district said students and staff were safe and they are redirected students to Eastview Church next door.
“The relocation allows us to continue operations in a secure and orderly way while the situation is assessed. Law enforcement is on site and actively working through the information,” Unit 5 officials said in the statement. “We understand this may raise questions, and we appreciate your patience as we focus on student safety. We are doing this out of a tremendous abundance of caution.”
A Unit 5 spokesperson said some students were already in the school when the threat was received, but most of the district’s buses had not yet arrived at school.
The district issued a follow-up communication shortly after 10 a.m. allowing families to come to Eastview Church to pick up their student. The district is asking parents to come to the north side of the church building.
Many parents had already come to Eastview before the all clear was given.
Unit 5 said students who parked at Eastview are allowed to leave. Students who parked their vehicles at NCHS will not be able to pick up their vehicle for the time being, the district said.
The district said students who are unable to be picked up will remain at Eastview, will receive lunch and will be transported home later in the day.
The district said its decision to send students home is not based on any additional threats of concerns, but that several hundreds students have left or are not on site "and the timing of investigators arriving at the school."
Normal Police spokesperson Brad Park said police are not yet ready to specify the nature of the threat, but that several agencies are working to determine the source and nature of the threat.
"Everyone is safe and secure, just a threat was received and so they have to take it very seriously," he said from the scene.
Bloomington Police and Illinois State Police are also assisting with the investigation.
NPD and the district ask families to use caution when viewing or sharing information on social media.
"Unverified information can be inaccurate and cause unnecessary concern," the statement read.
WGLT will update this story.
