The Licking School District announced Saturday night there will be no school Monday due to a bomb threat.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Licking R-8 School District will be closed Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. District administration and law enforcement are investigating a bomb threat. The decision to close school Monday has been made due to specific time information in the threat that coincides with the school day,” it said in a statement.
All district buildings and grounds are closed and no one except law enforcement should be on school property until further notice.
“Law enforcement will advise us as to next steps, and we will provide updates as the investigation continues,” according to the school’s statement.
The school district on Sunday morning issued this statement:
On Saturday evening, October 24, Licking R-8 School District was notified by the FBI and local law enforcement of a threat involving the district. The information received included specific timing that coincided with the upcoming school day on Monday.
Upon notification, district administration initiated its response procedures and began working closely with law enforcement to assess the threat and coordinate the resources necessary to search district buildings. Given the timing of the threat and the limited window available over the weekend to mobilize the necessary resources, the district made the decision Saturday evening to cancel classes on Monday, October 26.
Local law enforcement officers and a specialized bomb/explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team from Fort Leonard Wood responded to assist with the investigation and clearing of district buildings. The search has been completed, and no bomb was found.
Despite the completion of the building searches, the district will remain closed Monday out of an abundance of caution. The investigation remains ongoing, and the district is taking this additional precaution to help protect the safety of our students, staff, and school community.
We understand the concern this situation may cause for our families and community. Please know that the district takes all threats seriously and will continue working in coordination with law enforcement. We will share additional information as appropriate and as it can be responsibly released.
We want to also extend our sincere thanks to City of Licking Police Department, Texas County Sheriffs Office, and the 180 Military Working Dog Detachment for their assistance last night.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support as we prioritize the safety of our school community. Here is an approximate timeline of the events of yesterday evening.
We ask that all staff remain off campus through tomorrow afternoon as we finalize our return Tuesday.
-District Safety Team
-Approximately 5:45 p.m.: A potential threat involving the district was identified.
-5:50 p.m.: Local law enforcement notified district administration.
-6:00–7:45 p.m.: District administration and law enforcement began assessing the threat and coordinating the response.
-8:51 p.m.: The district made the decision to close school Monday based on specific timing information in the threat.
-9:14–10:24 p.m.: Law enforcement personnel and a specialized EOD team responded to assist with the investigation and building searches.
-11:40 p.m.: The EOD team completed its search. No bomb was found.
