District reports multiple robo-call threats; Landrum Middle placed in lockdown and schools coordinated with sheriff's office

St. Johns County School District officials on Monday reported multiple automated threat calls to schools, including a call to Landrum Middle School that prompted a hard lockdown during morning arrival and temporary student relocations.

Why it matters: Automated or “robo-style” threat calls can disrupt arrival and dismissal and raise safety concerns across neighboring campuses. District officials said the incidents prompted coordinated responses with school staff, the district safety team and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO).

What happened: According to district staff, Landrum Middle School received a threat call during morning arrival and went into a hard lockdown while staff and a youth-resource deputy coordinated messaging. Buses were diverted and students were moved briefly to Ocean Palms Elementary before being shuttled back once the campus was secured.

School-safety staff described additional incidents the same morning. "We had two sites, the City Bay Middle School and Piccolata Crossing. Both received a robo style call," a district safety official said. City Bay briefly executed a soft lockdown for less than 10 minutes; Piccolata Crossing was placed on standby and did not go into full lockdown.

District response and coordination: The district said its safety specialist, Mike Strasbar, coordinated on-site response with SJSO and campus leaders. Christina Upchurch handled messaging to parents and staff, and Bruce Petro provided phone-log coordination to the sheriff's office for the investigation. The district also notified the state education office’s deputy chancellor as an informational measure.

Attendance and visibility: Officials acknowledged the events affected attendance at multiple locations. "Regardless, if it happens in Ponte Vedra or it happens at Hastings, it happens in Central Saint Augustine, we feel it entirely as a district," a district official said. Board members reported increased law-enforcement presence near affected sites on Monday morning.

What officials said they would do next: District leaders said they had asked secretaries and school office staff to heighten awareness of incoming phone activity, and they expected some additional law-enforcement presence at district schools for the near term while SJSO investigates. The district did not announce any arrests or identify suspects during the workshop.

Quote: “They went into utilizing our strategic system, went into a hard lockdown,” a district official said describing the Landrum response. Mike Strasbar and other district safety staff were credited by the board for their rapid coordination.

What was not disclosed: The district did not provide specifics about who made the calls, the caller origin beyond a general reference to foreign-traced numbers, or whether the incidents are connected beyond occurring the same morning. Officials said some information is sensitive and cannot be released publicly while the investigation continues.

Ending: District and sheriff’s office staff said they will continue to investigate the source of the calls and monitor school-site phone activity; school families will receive messaging from individual campuses as investigations proceed.