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Jacksonville Beach Elementary evacuated because of bomb threat

Jacksonville Beach Elementary
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Jacksonville Beach Elementary

Jacksonville Beach Elementary is cleared after a bomb threat caused an evacuation Thursday morning.

"All students and staff are safe, and they have returned to the school," a Duval Schools spokesperson said in an email shortly after 11:30 a.m.

Students were taken off campus as the gifted and academically talented magnet elementary school was locked down for police to search it, the district said.

Parents received phone calls from the district Thursday morning that said, in part, "First, we want to assure you that all students and staff are safe. Again, all students and staff are safe. However, the school has been evacuated in response to a bomb threat apparently called into the school. Police are currently investigating and searching the school. The school is locked down at this time, which means that no one will be allowed to enter or leave the school until the situation is resolved."

Once the campus was cleared, parents were allowed to pick up students early if they chose.

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP