Clovis High School and Clovis Elementary School were placed under a shelter-in-place order on Thursday, May 28, following a suspicious phone call received by the Clovis Unified School District.
The precautionary measure kept students indoors and limited outside movement on campus while Clovis Police Department officers conducted a thorough search of the grounds.
The district issued the shelter-in-place strictly as a safety precaution, emphasizing that the decision was part of their established safe school plan.
Officers responded swiftly, with residents near Herndon and Fowler reporting multiple police vehicles rushing toward the school shortly after the order went into effect.
All Clear Given Just After 3 PM
The shelter-in-place was lifted just after 3 p.m., with both schools returning to normal operations in time for their regularly scheduled dismissal.
Clovis Unified released a statement confirming that law enforcement partners had completed their work on campus and determined that the suspicious phone call was not credible and did not pose any risk to students or staff.
“Law enforcement partners have completed their work on campus to confirm that the suspicious phone call was not credible and did not pose a risk to students,” the district said in its official statement, thanking parents and guardians for their patience throughout the ordeal.
Clovis Elementary School was also brought back to normal operations, with students released on schedule at the end of the school day.
Community Reacts With Frustration
The incident drew significant reaction from community members, many of whom expressed frustration over what they described as a growing trend of false threats targeting local schools.
Parents and residents took to social media to voice their concerns, with several noting that these kinds of calls had become alarmingly routine.
Some community members called for stronger action from law enforcement, with one resident suggesting that federal authorities should step in to trace the origin of such calls and hold those responsible accountable.
Others pointed out the disruption these incidents cause not just to students but to the entire surrounding community, including the significant police resources required to respond each time.
A few commenters speculated about the motivations behind such calls, suggesting that students may sometimes be behind them as a way to avoid exams or school obligations.
Whether or not that holds true in this case, the broader concern remains the same: repeated false threats drain emergency resources, cause unnecessary panic among families, and create an unsettling environment for students and staff alike.
Making a false threat against a school is a criminal offense in California. Individuals found guilty can face felony charges, significant fines, and prison time, depending on the severity and circumstances of the threat.
Law enforcement agencies throughout the state have increasingly pushed for harsher consequences to discourage this type of behavior.
Clovis Unified did not release any information about potential suspects or whether an arrest had been made in connection with the call. The Clovis Police Department and the district have not confirmed whether the investigation is ongoing.
For now, Clovis High School and Clovis Elementary School are back to normal, and students and families can breathe a little easier knowing Thursday ended without incident.
