Bomb Scare Reported at Easton Area Middle School

A bomb scare was reported at Easton Area Middle School Monday afternoon.

School officials and authorities confirmed that a bomb scare was reported at the 5-8 grades school, delaying school buses at least 20 minutes at the end of the school day.

The bomb scare took place in the 5th and 6th grade building, sources said.

Police from Forks and Palmer townships and Wilson and a Northampton County rescue unit responded.

A Forks Township fire truck and Suburban EMS vehicle was also at the scene.

The Easton Area School District issued alerts about the bomb scare and informed parents at neighboring Shawnee Elementary School that school buses were delayed from "an incident at the middle school."

One parent said that her son was informed to leave his belongings inside the school. A school official told another parent that students' belongings could be picked up once authorities had cleared the scene.

School officials and police were not immediately available for comment.

District parents expressed frustration on the Easton Patch Facebook page:

"Probably a prank call, but now my son is home half hour late after standing outside of the building with no jacket for over an hour, terrified and does not want to go back!" said parent Alechia Wright. "Not funny at all! Thank God these kids are home safely!"

Another said police had been at the school since 9 a.m., and wondered why parents weren't contacted sooner.

Last year, Easton Area High School was evacuated several times due to phony bomb threats at the Palmer Township building.

Also Monday, South Whitehall police were at Parkland High School in the morning as a precaution, following an unspecified threat to a teacher by a student, district spokeswoman Nicole McGalla said.

Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., which left 26 people dead.

Numerous bomb threats were reported days after the shootings, including one in Emmaus.