WESTFIELD — Westfield Academy and Central Schools officials received praise for their handling of an incident that created a scare within the community.

On Jan. 9, a bomb threat was investigated at the school and the building was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone. Students were taken to the Lakeshore Assembly of God Church in Westfield.

During a recent meeting, the school board received a note from Brian and Jessica Hornbuckle, who are parents of children in first grade and prekindergarten. Both expressed gratitude to the entire administration and staff.

The Hornbuckles, who both work for the Brocton Central School District, offered their support for the difficult situation. “We understand that there are protocols and steps to take in events such as these,” they said. “We greatly appreciate all that you have done to ensure the safety of both students and staff.”

Pastor Vincent Sanzo of the Lakeshore Assembly of God addressed board members during the period of public comment. He said he was very impressed with the manner in which the situation was handled.

“I want to say what an incredible team you are,” he said. “You handled everything so well.”

Sanzo went on to say that it was more than just the way the administration and staff worked together. “It wasn’t just the teamwork; it is the hearts you guys have for each other and the students,” he said. “We have a real gem here at Westfield Academy.”

During the period of board commentary, several board members voiced their agreement with Sanzo’s comments.

Tom Tarpley also expressed appreciation for the role of the Lakeshore Assembly of God and Pastor Sanzo who were extremely helpful in making everything go smoothly. Phyllis Hagen noted that the church is part of that team that handled everything so well.

On Jan. 18, a Westfield student was facing a felony charge for writing the threat that prompted the evacuation.

According to police, the message indicated that there was a bomb in a specific locker inside the school. In addition to Westfield police, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the school.

While investigating the validity of the threat, the school went into a shelter in place before the decision was made to evacuate students and staff out of “an abundance of caution,” Westfield police said.

The locker noted in the message was not assigned to any student, though a lock was on it.

“A search of the district was performed using specialized K-9s,” Westfield police said. “The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was also called to the scene and searched an isolated area of the building.”

It was later confirmed that the bomb threat was not credible and that “no bomb was ever in the district.”

According to Westfield police, the juvenile was scheduled to appear in Family Court at a later date and time.