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Countryside High School evacuated due to social media threat

Countryside High School evacuated due to social media threat
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Countryside High School in Clearwater was evacuated Monday morning after a social media threat.

The grounds were checked and cleared, and students returned to class a little before noon.

Clearwater Police was on scene to assist in the evacuation and swept the school in an abundance of caution.

Authorities do not believe the threat came from a student at the school.

The school released the following statement:

This is an important message for Countryside High School families. As a precaution, Countryside has been evacuated due to a safety concern. There were rumors of a safety concern spreading on social media this morning. That concern was investigated and determined to be unfounded. However, the school received an additional concern, which prompted the evacuation. Students and staff have been moved to a safe and secure location outlined in Countryside High School’s emergency response plan. Law enforcement is working to investigate the concern and complete a safety sweep of the campus. School staff are not in the front office and are unable to answer calls to the school at this time. More information will be communicated as soon as an update is available.

Kids weren't sent home, but parents were given the option to pick them up.