Update: The Maplewood Police Department released a statement on Tuesday, January 26, about the home invasion that led to the Seth Boyden lockdown. Read it here. Seth Boyden Principal Mark Quiles sent a letter on Friday evening, January 22, providing details about today's police action and the school's response. See the letter in full here. Below is the earlier Patch report.

The message from Principal Mark Quiles came over the loud speaker at about 3:10 p.m. Seth Boyden Elementary students were to remain in the classroom and visitors were to also join students in the classroom until further notice. The situation was a "yellow" code, and dismissal would be delayed.

According to several parents, students had been brought in from recess and lunch play earlier when the crime that was causing this yellow code situation—a reported robbery on Springfield Avenue— had happened. With the police still securing the area nearing dismissal time, the school district made the decision to hold children until given assurances by police of their safety.

The children continued to work with teachers quietly. Meanwhile, Superintendent Brian Osborne was on site to help with any issues. [Update: at 5:24 p.m. an automated message went out by phone from Osborne explaining: "Today, January 22, for the safety of our students dismissal was delayed by 15 minutes due to an official police action near the school. The situation has been successful resolved. Thank you to everyone for your patience and cooperation in helping us keep our children safe and have a good weekend."]

Another parent who was in the classroom with me, received a call on her cell phone from the school district at about 3:25 p.m. telling her that the buses would be delayed. When the parent asked why, the school district transportation employee did not give a reason. When I returned home after 4 p.m., I retrieved a voicemail notification of the late dismissal from the School District transportation office that was time stamped 4:04 p.m.

Outside, traffic was snarled as police closed Springfield Avenue between Tuscan Road and Boyden Avenue. Large NJTransit buses snaked their way along Boyden and Tuscan and school buses were caught in the traffic. By 3:45 p.m. Springfield Avenue was reopening but traffic remained slow. 

Driving by, we saw crime scene tape in front of B. Hathaways and between B. Hathaways and Every Lil' Thing Florists. We are awaiting details from the Maplewood Police Department.