GOWANDA — A false alarm is being blamed for a lockdown Tuesday morning in the Gowanda Central School district middle and high school complex.

A release by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department indicated the school was cleared after 9 a.m. with the assistance of the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Gowanda Police, North Collins Police and other emergency personnel. It was determined there was no threat at any point to the students. The school was turned back over to district administrators and have resumed a regular school schedule around 11.

“In these situations, safety is our top priority. Real-time information cannot be communicated because all school personnel are involved in responding to the situation in some manner,” says Superintendent Dr. Robert B. Anderson. “The district will provide information as soon as it is appropriate to do so.”

Support staff are available for those in need of counseling.

Gowanda schools noted it was “thankful to first responders and local law enforcement for their assistance and appreciates everyone’s patience despite the worry these alarms understandably cause.” In addition, the district was “grateful to all first responders, staff and students and our community for their assistance, patience and support.”

Officials said the cause of the alarm was unknown as of Tuesday afternoon.