Bomb Threat Disrupts Classes At Rock Island Elementary

Classes at Rock Island Elementary School were back to normal on Tuesday following the discovery of a suspicious device that led to its evacuation Monday.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office responded to the discovery at around 9:15 a.m. and the school's students were bused to Eastmont Junior High School in East Wenatchee where they were picked up by parents and guardians.

Eastmont School District Superintendent, Becky Berg, says the evacuation went smoothly.

"We probably get more threats than actual devices but it's never easy when it upends a school day for our families and the kiddos. Everybody cooperated quite nicely and the whole thing went as smooth as it could have gone."

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Berg says every school in her district performs evacuation drills for such scenarios as the one that unfolded Monday.

"Ironically, Rock Island (Elementary) had an evacuation drill scheduled for Monday morning. Then the actual evacuation orders came, so our parents were sort of wondering if it was the drill or the real thing. But we do practice and rehearse these kinds of things."

The device turned out to be a realistic-looking bomb that was innocuous.

The school's student population missed the remainder of Monday's classes while police investigated.