By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point police on Wednesday confirmed a bomb threat has been made at SPASH.

In a letter to parents, principal Jon Vollendorf said the threat, written on girl’s bathroom stall, was found at the end of the school day on Tuesday, the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break.

Vollendorf did not disclose the exact wording of the threat.

“We immediately notified the police department, and they are working with our police liaison officer to investigate and prosecute the person responsible for making the threat,” Vollendorf’s letter reads in part.

“The police had advised us that they do not believe anyone is in danger. However, we will treat any threat to our students and school with methodical scrutiny and investigate it to the best of our ability,” he said.

Vollendorf added that as a result of the threat, police will be conducting searches of all bags and backpacks when students return to school on Monday, and continue through Wednesday, Nov. 29.

Assistant Police Chief Tom Zenner said it’s not the first bomb threat at the school, but that doesn’t make it any less serious.

“It’s a balancing act; you want to take the threat seriously, but you don’t want to create a situation where you encourage copy cats,” Zenner said on Wednesday.

Zenner said several officers were pulled from patrol duty on Tuesday to assist in conducting a search of the school, and a heightened police presence there will continue through next week.

The Stevens Point Fire Dept. has been placed on standby — protocol anytime a threat like this one is received, he added.

Zenner confirmed police don’t believe anyone is in danger, but added having to tie up so many resources to investigate what’s likely a prank is frustrating.

“Whoever did this…they don’t understand the resources that get activated on something like this; a lot of resources get devoted to this,” he said. “Those resources will continue to be tied up next week, too, as we conduct student searches.”

Zenner added it was “lucky school is out today”, otherwise additional problems could have arisen requiring even more police response.