Always needing to err on the side of caution when the safety of children is involved, school districts have no choice but to evacuate buildings and perhaps close them for the day when a bomb threat is received.

Such was the case in Red Hook on Wednesday, when a note stating a bomb had been placed in one of the district's schools was found affixed to a door at the district’s administration office. The resulting police search forced the district to close Mill Road Elementary School and start classes several hours late at Linden Avenue Middle School and Red Hook High School.

But something I blogged about in September 2007 bears repeating: In my 26 years in the newspaper business, I’ve never seen a bomb threat lead to an actual bomb, and I’ve never seen a bombing that’s been preceded by a bomb threat.

Bomb threats – especially those that target schools – are hoaxes. Always. Not some of the time, not most of the time – all of the time.

And it would be nice if they could just be ignored.

But rest assured, I understand why they can’t be.