Dover High School to Reopen Thursday After Bomb Threat Cleared

“Throughout today’s response, our school community was protected by Delaware and Dover’s finest,” Capital School District Superintendent Toriano Giddens said, and Dover High School will resume normal operations Thursday after a bomb threat forced an evacuation and early dismissal Wednesday, WMDT reported.

The call came in at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Wednesday, triggering an immediate lockdown at the school. At the direction of responding law enforcement, students and staff evacuated to the football field, and by 11:00 a.m. everyone had left the building in an orderly manner. After a thorough search, law enforcement cleared the building and confirmed there was no credible threat.

Police Conduct Building Search After Threat

At 11:17 a.m., school officials announced the lockdown and evacuation while police searched the building, a process expected to take about two hours. By early afternoon, the Capital School District announced that students would be dismissed early and that all Wednesday after-school activities were canceled.

WBOC reported that some law enforcement personnel were already at the school for a school-related presentation when the call came in, which allowed for an immediate response. Dover Police conducted the search of the building after the threat was received on Nov. 4.

Buses began arriving early to pick up students through 12:45 p.m. Once bus pickups were complete, parents and guardians of car riders were contacted with pickup instructions, and students who walk to school were dismissed last. Families were asked to keep the campus and surrounding roads clear so emergency personnel could continue their work.

Support for a Shaken School Community

When classes resume Thursday, students will be able to retrieve belongings left behind during the evacuation, and staff will be available to support anyone “feeling unsettled,” according to the district.

Bomb Threat Empties Dover High

“We are deeply grateful for their professionalism, care, and commitment to our students and staff, and for the partnerships that make this coordinated response possible,” Giddens added. Superintendent Giddens

The superintendent also extended thanks to a helicopter pilot who was present during the evacuation — a Dover High School graduate — who helped protect the school community.

The district acknowledged the strain on families in a message posted to social media: “We understand that this situation is concerning for families, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation.”

School Resumes Regular Schedule

Dover High School will reopen Thursday with normal instructional hours, and the building has been officially cleared by law enforcement. The Capital School District said it will share additional updates as more information becomes available, though officials have already confirmed the threat was not credible.

For a school community that spent Wednesday morning on a football field while police searched the building, Thursday’s return to normal hours marks the end of an orderly response that officials credit to partnerships with Dover Police and Delaware law enforcement.

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