HYANNIS – The Barnstable Intermediate School (BIS) was evacuated Tuesday morning after an unspecified threat. In a message sent to parents, Barnstable Superintendent of Schools Meg Mayo-Brown said: “Dear BIS Parents/Gardians, We are evacuating BIS due to an unverified threat of a device in the building that Barnstable Police will be investigating. Out of an abundance of caution, students and staff are being relocated to the auditorium at the Barnstable High School, and will remain there while Barnstable Police conduct a safety sweep of the building. The students will return to BIS once Barnstable Police confirm the safety of the building. We will update BIS parents as more information becomes available. If BIS parents want to dismiss your child as a result of this information, we can accommodate dismissals at Barnstable High School (Main Entrance). Please do not go to Barnstable Intermediate School.”
Later Tuesday afternoon Barnstable Police clarified exactly what happened: “On Tuesday December 21, 2021 at approximately 10:52 a.m. the Barnstable Police and the Hyannis Fire Department were dispatched to the Barnstable Intermediate School in Hyannis regarding a bomb threat written on a hallway wall. The school was evacuated while a safety sweep was conducted with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and their K-9 teams. The students from the Intermediate School were temporarily moved to the Barnstable High School auditorium during the sweep. At approximately 12:45 p.m., after consultation with the Barnstable School Administration, the students returned to the Intermediate School.”