SACO — Police continue to pursue leads regarding a telephone threat made to Thornton Academy last week and say they will maintain a heightened profile at the school.

Shortly before 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, a telephone threat was received by a receptionist at Thornton Academy, according to a press release from Saco Police.

Saco police responded to the incident and the school was locked down. Soon after, students were released in a dismissal coordinated by school staff, Saco Police and the Maine State Police.

Thornton Academy is a private school that serves publicly-funded as well as private-pay middle- and high-school students.

Public schools in Saco were under lockdown for about two hours under direction of the Saco Police, and a visible police presence was at the schools.

Local police, with assistance from State Police and the Portland Police Department K-9 teams, searched all buildings on the Thornton campus. Police said no suspicious materials or devices were found.

“Aside from the telephoned threat that was received Thursday morning, the Saco Police Department has had no evidence or further indication that either the students or campus were placed at risk,” police said in a written statement this week.

The early dismissal of classes last Thursday and the cancellation of school the following day was in the interest of student safety and to give police time to continue the investigation, the statement said.

Police have met with Thornton Academy staff several times since last week’s phone threat.

As the investigation continues, police say they will maintain “a heightened profile” over the next few weeks.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.