The Las Cruces school district confronts all types of problems on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this week that included a series of bomb threats that strained both police and school resources, officials said.
The threats interfered with LCPS classes three times this week alone.
While no one was harmed as a result of any of the threats and no explosives were found, district officials said the incidents hurt the educational process, disrupting lessons plans and canceling or delaying classes.
"A bomb threat is not perceived as an inconvenience but as a serious threat that impacts the education of every student," said LCPS spokeswoman Jo Galván. "When students have to evacuate due to an emergency, which includes a bomb threat, they lose out on valuable instructional time. Kids are greatly impacted because they have to learn the same amount of material in a shorter amount of time."
Sierra Middle School on East Spruce Street was evacuated shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday. Las Cruces police officers swept the building for explosives following a call to central dispatch from an unidentified man warning of an explosion.
Police found nothing and staff and students were allowed to return to the building.
"It was a good opportunity to practice the (evacuation) drill. Fortunately, most of these are false," Brenda Lewis, Sierra principal, said.
The bomb threat against Sierra was the third such incident this week involving LCPS.
According to police records, Las Cruces High School was the target of a bomb threat on Monday. Five hours later, Ońate High School received its own bomb threat.
Last month, a bomb threat against the Sun-News offices prompted the lockdown of nearby Central Elementary. The same day New Mexico State University was the subject of a threat.
Ońate Principal Joyce Aranda said she typically gets two threats a year. Monday's threat was the second this semester.
"It interferes with the educational process and it is a crime," Aranda said. "In the majority of the cases, I believe it is a disgruntled kid or a disgruntled individual that wants to interrupt the educational process.
"If you have to be out of your class for 45 minutes, you're already out of your lesson and you need to reteach the whole lesson," Aranda said.
Galván said if it is students making the threats, not only are they risking criminal prosecution but long-term suspensions as well.
The threats also are taxing on police.
"It's a huge burden on public safety resources," said LCPD officer Wallace Downs. "Every call that comes in to a dispatcher needs to be investigated. This is a huge waste of resources that could be used otherwise."
Making a bomb threat is a fourth-degree felony, Downs said, and under New Mexico law anyone with information leading to the arrest of the person who made the threat is eligible for a reward.
Aranda said, fake or not, her main priority is the safety of students and staff.
"I want to make sure that I've gone from one end to the other to make sure that when students return to the classroom they are safe," she said.