Carroll Elementary School had a lockdown last Wednesday.

Principal Carolyn O'Connell said it was a precautionary measure and it lasted half a day. She said it didn't have anything to do with guns or any other serious threat to the school as a whole. She commented only that it was a potential situation and involved a member of the school population.

Flora Police monitored the school and grounds, and no situation arose.

O'Connell explained that the school has a code drill system as part of its school safety plan.

She said the lockdown on Wednesday was a "code yellow," which is an exterior lockdown only. All outside doors were locked, and visitors were only allowed into the school by office personnel. Inside, school went on as usual.

If it had been a "code red," or full lockdown, exterior doors would have been locked, and students would have been kept in their classrooms with the blinds closed and lights off.

"Code green" is used for an emergency evacuation of the building, such as a gas leak or environmental issue concerning the overall wellbeing of students and staff.

Lockdown drills are held, just like fire drills.

O'Connell said normally parents would be notified of a lockdown through a letter sent home, but a letter was not sent home last Wednesday. She said the potential situation never materialized, and students were even allowed to go out on the playground, with extra sets of eyes to watch them.

Flora Police Chief Paul Redmon said the presence of officers at the school caused no alarm because officers are frequent visitors, as guests in the classrooms, to read to students, and even sometimes to eat lunch there.