by News-Item Staff
CATAWISSA RR - A situation involving a Southern Columbia kindergarten student talking about a bomb on a bus was handled by the district administration and no police were called to investigate, according to The Press Enterprise Sunday.
The incident, which was described as happening on "one recent day," was handled in an "age-appropriate manner," Superintendent Paul Caputo told the Bloomsburg newspaper.
The bus driver reportedly called Elementary Principal Joseph Shirvinski, and although the child was removed from the bus immediately, that same student was allowed to return to the bus before it left the parking lot, the newspaper reported.
Administration takes into account the age of students and all details before taking any action on any incident such as this, Caputo explained.
However, employees made sure to check on her the next day, and the student's parents were notified, the newspaper reported.
The situation was handled in a less drastic fashion compared to the administration at Mount Carmel Area School District.
A 5-year-old kindergarten student at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School was suspended in January for allegedly telling two classmates that she was going to shoot them and herself with a pink Hello Kitty Bubbles Gun.
The child, who did not have the toy in her possession at the school, was reportedly questioned about the incident for three hours before her mother was contacted, and was initially suspended for 10 days by Mount Carmel Area Elementary School Principal Susan Nestico in what the school classified as a "terroristic threat."
The suspension was later reduced to two days and labeled a "threat to harm others."
The girl returned to classes Jan. 31 and it was implied that the suspension was removed from the girl's record.