LUNENBURG COUNTY, Va. -- Lunenburg County Public Schools abruptly announced Sunday that schools would be closed on Monday throughout the county. In a Facebook post, that had its comments turned off, Lunenburg school leaders said the decision was made due to "unforeseen circumstances."
The Lunenburg County sheriff later said the schools were shut down due to a threat made against the schools.
"We received a Facebook message yesterday," Lunenburg County Sheriff Arthur Townsend said. "It was a kind of, a little bit of, a threat."
Townsend did not go into detail about the threat but did call Virginia State Police to help investigate.
"We have to take any threat and check into it and see whether it's credibility to it or not," Sheriff Townsend said.
When the threatening message surfaced, Townsend said he took the information he had to Lunenburg Public Schools Superintendent.
"He decided to shut the schools down today," Sheriff Townsend said. "Said he wanted to use some caution to make sure that everything was okay until we can get to the bottom of what happened here."
In addition to the county's four schools not opening on Monday, the county closed the central school office and canceled after-school activities and Monday's school board meeting.
"I'm thinking, he's leaning toward opening tomorrow. And basically, we'll just be there to support the schools, to make sure the kids are safe and continue to check into this situation and just support the schools at whatever they do."
Parents said that the vague message the school system sent them about the closure only caused them to think something terrible was about to happen.
"I can be scared because we abruptly received text messages yesterday to my phone saying that school is closed for unforeseen reasons, no explanations," Mecealia Johnson, one concerned parent, said. "We need answers and until we get answers, we're not sending our kids back to school."
Mason Reece spent part of Monday morning throwing the baseball with his son who is in second grade.
"I know uncertainty tends to create a little bit of worry, for lack of a better term," Reece said. "I do trust the individuals in charge to make the best decision in regards to the safety of the children and the facility and staff of each of these situations in the county."
Lunenburg County Public Schools will be open on Tuesday with increased law enforcement presence.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
