3 Philly schools briefly evacuated following reported threats, officials say
Oct 16, 2026
Three Philadelphia schools were put on lockdown and evacuated on Friday morning after police responded to threats at the properties, officials said.
According to police, officers responded to Masterman School on the 1600 block of Spring Garden Street, the School of the Future, along the 4000 bloc
k of Parkside Avenue and Benjamin Franklin High School, on the 500 block of North Broad Street, due to threats made against the school.
Police said that investigators believe threats to all three schools were made by the same caller.
However, officials did not immediately detail the nature of the threats. But, contacted for comment, the School District of Philadelphia noted that calls made to the schools were not bomb threats.
All three schools were placed on lockdowns and evacuations procedures were conducted at the schools, officials said.
Officials said the threat at Masterman School came in at about 8:30 a.m. and the school was cleared at 9:31 a.m.
At the School of the Future, officials said, the threats came in at about 9:32 a.m. and the institution was cleared immediately. Normal school activities resumed by 10:28 a.m.
Threats at Benjamin Franklin High School came in at 9:28 a.m. The incident was cleared and normal school operations resumed by 9:56 a.m.
Police determined the threats to all three schools were unfounded.
An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the threats, police said.
This was the second evacuation and lockdown at Masterman this month. The school, along with four other Philadelphia schools, was evacuated back on Oct. 6 due to bomb threats.
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