Steele High School bomb threat leads to evacuation, canceled classes; officials say similar threats hit other schools

Byron P. Steele High School canceled classes Wednesday after the campus received a bomb threat by voicemail, according to Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

Steele High School bomb threat leads to evacuation, canceled classes; officials say similar threats hit other schools

Byron P. Steele High School canceled classes Wednesday after the campus received a bomb threat by voicemail, according to Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

In its first ParentSquare message to families, SCUCISD said the campus was evacuated and classes were canceled for the day while law enforcement conducted a sweep. Students and staff already on campus were evacuated, and students who were on buses were redirected to Samuel Clemens High School for pickup, the district said.

Later in the day, SCUC Communications said a coordinated, multi-agency sweep was completed around 11:30 a.m. and the campus was deemed clear. Normal school operations were expected to resume Thursday.

SCUC Communications also said it learned other schools across Texas received similar bomb threats, and that the district was coordinating with local, state, and federal partners through the Fusion Center.

What SCUCISD told parents

In its first message Wednesday morning, SCUCISD said:

  • Steele High School received a voicemail bomb threat.
  • The campus was evacuated and classes were canceled for the day.
  • Students on buses were redirected to Clemens High School for pickup.
  • No other SCUCISD campuses were impacted and other schools stayed on a regular schedule.

Later in the day, SCUC Communications said:

  • A coordinated, multi-agency sweep was completed around 11:30 a.m. and the campus was deemed safe.
  • Normal operations would resume the next day.
  • The district learned other schools across Texas received similar threats.

What police said

KSAT reported the voicemail was left at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday and discovered at 7:38 a.m. Wednesday, and that the message was described as “pre-recorded.” KSAT also reported multiple agencies assisted with the search.

Statewide context: similar threats reported across Texas

SCUCISD told parents that, through coordination with local, state, and federal partners, it learned other schools across Texas received similar threats.

In some reported instances from other Texas districts, threats included details beyond a simple “bomb threat” label.

  • Anna ISD (North Texas): In a Facebook update quoted by The Dallas Morning News, Anna ISD officials said, “We have also learned that several districts in our area and across the state received the same message.” They added: “Law enforcement continues to investigate.”

  • Franklin ISD / Robertson County: KBTX reported that a caller claimed to have “explosives and a rifle” and stated he was entering the building and that “gunshots would be heard in the background,” according to the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office.

  • Coppell / Anna / Duncanville (DFW area): FOX 4 quoted Anna ISD Superintendent Tony Tucker describing the message as a “potential bomb threat” and saying, “We have since learned that multiple districts across our area in the state received the exact same message that we did …”

Sources