Evacuated RR schools closed until 7 pm

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - Two Round Rock schools were evacuated Tuesday afternoon as a precaution to a threat made, shuffling 1,600 students in 40 buses to off-site locations.

Officials said Deerpark Middle School and Live Oak Elementary School will remain closed through 7 p.m. Tuesday as officials complete their sweep.

Regarding the origin of the threat, Sgt. John Foster with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said some students had a Facebook conversation with a man on Facebook. Foster did not know if the man had any connection to the school.

They said that neither campus will be open to the public before 7 p.m., so students will not be able to pick up their bicycles and staff will not be able to get their cars until then. They cautioned that the time the campuses would be reopened is subject to change.

Perot said she could not elaborate on the nature of the conversation between the students and the unidentified man.

Assisting the sheriff’s office is the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The Williamson County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies are investigating a bomb threat made to Deerpark Middle School and the district that first came into the Sheriff's Office.

Bomb-sniffing dogs are inside Deepark Middle School sweeping the area, and the FBI has been called and is helping. Sheriff's officials said they are now just waiting for the "all-clear," saying they have to treat every threat as serious even though there may not be proof that it's real.

School officials said that as a precaution, students from Deerpark Middle School and nearby Live Oak Elementary School were evacuated at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Please be assured that we are taking all necessary action to ensure the safety of our students and staff," said Round Rock Independent School District spokeswoman JoyLynn Occhiuzzi.

The Deerpark Middle School students will be taken to the McNeil High School gym at 5720 McNeil Road , while the Live Oak Elementary School students will be taken to the Round Rock Independent School District Performing Arts Center at 5800 McNeil Road .

Students will be kept at the new location until the normal release time, and officials said bus transportation will be provided as usual. Students who normally walk home will be bussed to a location closer to their campus for the walk home.

Parents who wanted to pick up their children before the end of the school day could do so starting at 1:30 p.m. at the students' new location.

The sheriff's office said it is working closely to bring this case to a close.

Meanwhile, Cedar Valley Middle School canceled its "R U SAFE?" meeting scheduled for Tuesday evening at Deerpark Middle School.