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Parents outraged Holly Hill school delayed bomb-threat notifications

HOLLY HILL, Fla. — Holly Hill Middle School was evacuated Tuesday following a tip that a student overheard another student saying he brought a pipe bomb to school, authorities said.

Officials said a student told them they heard another student threatened to bring C-4 explosives in a backpack to school Tuesday.

Police said they located the teen and transported him to Halifax Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

They also evacuated hundreds of children while they searched the school with bomb sniffing dogs. Police determined there was nothing suspicious.

Parents, however, told Channel 9 they're outraged because while police responded to the school and evacuated children about 8:30 a.m., they weren't notified by the school district until 10 a.m.

"We just got the call an hour and a half later that there was a bomb scare and the police were there," said parent Jill Hemmerlein. "I was standing (outside the school) when I received the call."

Parents said they received texts and calls from their children or saw the threat on Facebook before the school notified them.

"I would have liked to have known immediately, so I could have taken measures before this," said parent Suzie Williamson.

By 1 p.m., the students were released to their parents.

Officials with the Volusia County School District admitted parents should have been notified earlier.

School district officials said the fluid situation and accuracy of information delayed recorded messages to parents. It is considering a new text messaging system for next school year.