Jackson Township police continue to investigate a written threat found Thursday at Seneca Valley’s Intermediate High School.

Linda Andreassi, the district’s director of communications, said a student discovered the potential threat to the school, which houses ninth- and tenth-graders, just as classes were letting out about 2:30 p.m. She declined to give the wording of the threat or where it was found in the building because of the ongoing investigation.

After a search of the building, Jackson Township police called in a K-9 unit from Allegheny County to sweep the school for potential threats, Andreassi said. The school was placed under lockdown, and students with after-school activities were relocated from the building.

Andreassi said police declared the building clear about 5:30 p.m. An AlertNow notification was sent to parents to let them know the school was safe.

Andreassi said 15 staff members used mobile metal detectors to search the school’s 1,100 students and their bags before they could enter classes Friday. They found nothing out of the ordinary, she said.

The district typically receives one or two threats every year. Andreassi said Seneca Valley has procedures and policies place to deal with them. The district also conducts random searches using drug-sniffing dogs and mobile metal detectors, and there are video cameras across the campus to monitor activity.

“We want parents to know we take it seriously each and every time,” Andreassi said.

The district’s response to the threat already won over parent Judy Rexford. At Monday’s school board meeting, the Cranberry resident said she was impressed with the district's handling of Thursday's situation. 

“There was a feeling of ‘my son is going to be alright,’” she said.