Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

A bomb scare which turned out to be false resulted in a two-hour delay for Woodrow Wallace Elementary and Middle Schools in Lake Isabella Thursday, Jan. 29, officials said.

An adult male called saying there was a bomb at the elementary school, but Sheriff’s deputies from the Kern Valley Substation responded at 7:15 a.m., performed searches and found nothing, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Michael Whorf said.

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“It was scary, but the response was excellent” said Sarah Cole, a second/third combination teacher at Wallace Elementary School. “It was fortunate that more students weren’t on campus,” she said.

“I wasn’t scared because I knew it was probably nothing,” said Bodfish resident Dana Moss, mother of three Wallace Elementary School students. “But I know they have to take precautions.”

A handful of parents who asked not to be identified took the conspiracy theory perspective, saying, “I think they were just testing, just to see how everyone would do. They were preparing for the next one.”

Nonetheless, officials closed the schools for two hours, and as a precaution, set a two-hour delay for the nearby Kern Valley High School.

Kern County Sheriff Sgt. Dean Marshall said he and his department will continue to investigate the case.

“The staff was really great,” said Wallace Elementary School Principal Stephanie Pope. “ Everyone pulled together, saying, ‘What can I do to help?’”

The Sun will continue to update readers as details become available.