Some Harlem Public Schools students have apparently decided they’d rather face the justice system than the school system.

A press release from the schools explains how they handled their third bomb threat in the past few weeks on Monday.

“Following the third school threat, Harlem Public Schools have taken additional steps to safeguard students and staff and prevent further incident, ” the release says.

In the release, Harlem Superintendent Rhonda Baker said, “The incident on Monday was a school threat, and we treated it as a drill to perfect our reunification process. ”

The release announces that “a closed-campus policy has been adopted temporarily … as a result of the threats. ”

High school students are not allowed to leave for lunch. “Bathroom privileges will be monitored by staff throughout the day, and students will not be given passes between classes, ” the release says.

“These will be in effect … until we get a confession, ” Baker said in the release. “Then, sanctions will be lifted one grade at a time, beginning with the senior class. ”

She also took time to commend the staff and students on the way they have dealt with the repeated threats.

“The staff and students were fantastic, ” Baker said. “They followed the procedure. Even though the reunification goes slowly, all children were accounted for and released to custodial parents. The Blaine County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the situation. ”

The first threat, on Feb. 23, was allegedly made by a sixth-grade student at Harlem Elementary, according to Blaine County Deputy Joe Winfield. The second, on Feb. 27, was allegedly made by a seventh-grade student. Monday’s threat, according to Winfield, was also suspected to have been made by a seventh-grade student.

The release also says the district will “hold an expulsion hearing Wednesday evening for two students relating to last week’s threat. ”

Another hearing about the third student will have to be scheduled.

Jeff Stiffarm, chief of the Fort Belknap Police Department, said this morning that his department is still investigating another bomb threat called in to Hays-Lodge Pole schools during Harlem’s first bomb threat.

He also added that Harlem schools are holding a public meeting at 4 p. m. today to discuss the threats.