A bomb threat was called into a Marion middle school early this afternoon, 36 minutes after a similar call was received at a central Iowa school. They weren't the only two.

Excelsior Middle School in Marion received a bomb threat at 12:30 this afternoon. Students were immediately evacuated and according to the Linn-Mar School District website, the Marion Police Department is conducting a thorough search of the building. Realizing a search would take several hours, the school district decided to dismiss students to parents or guardians or put them on their normal bus routes, beginning at Lowe Park.

Students may be picked up at Lowe Park at 4500 North 10th Street in Marion. Buses will be running at approximately their normal times.

The Des Moines Register reports a bomb threat was called into an Altoona elementary school via an automated phone call at 11:54 this morning. That school, part of the Southeast Polk School District, was also evacuated. It has since decided to send students home for the day while a police search continues. As of 1:36 p.m., nothing had been found at Altoona Elementary.

WHO-TV in Des Moines also reports a bomb threat was called into Valley High School in the West Des Moines Community School District today.

KKTV in Colorado Springs, Colorado reports that several schools in that state had bomb threats called in within minutes of each other earlier this afternoon. They are reporting that today's threats to schools around the U.S. may have all come from a robocall with a recorded message. There have also been reports of bomb threats in Wyoming and Wisconsin today.

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