Portland schools locked down for 5 hours after threat

PORTLAND, Conn. (WTNH) — High school and middle school students in Portland spent five hours in lockdown on Monday after someone made an anonymous threat.

The threat claimed that a seventh grade student had a gun and was going to commit a shooting, according to officials. About 600 students went into lockdown after the threat came in at 12:15 p.m.

Police believe that a 13-year-old student made the call. No gun was found, but a student came forward saying they knew someone was planning to make the call as part of a hoax, according to officials.

Both schools will start on a two-hour delay on Tuesday.

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Texas public schools could use teachings from the Bible in lessons as an option for students from kindergarten through fifth grade under a proposal that drew hours of testimony Monday and follows Republican-led efforts in other states to incorporate more religious teaching into classrooms. Teachers and parents gave impassioned testimony for and against the curriculum plan at a meeting of the Texas State Board of Education, which is expected to hold a final vote on the measure later this week. The curriculum — designed by the state's public education agency — would allow teachings from the Bible such as the Golden Rule and lessons from books such as Genesis into classrooms.