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HUNTSVILLE — Scott High is getting back to normal this week after an arduous few days last week that saw hundreds of students miss classes out of fear that violence would erupt at the school.

School administrators said Monday that only 75 students were absent from classes. On a normal school day, absences range from 50 to 70 students.

On Thursday, nearly 200 students had been absent, and on Friday, more than half — around 55% — of the school’s 810-member student body had been absent.

The absences were prompted by fear of violence after threats were reportedly made by some students at the school.

The unrest began early last week after verbal death threats were reported to school administrators, prompting an investigation that led to the expulsion of three students.

However, as students returned to school Monday, officials said that many of the rumors emerging from Scott High School last week were unfounded.

“We feel like it was overblown, but we’re not trying to diminish the seriousness of what happened,” Director of Schools Sharon Wilson said Monday. “The way the facts were exaggerated and taken out of context, and situations misconstrued all the way around, it brought a wave of panic through the school and through the homes of students.”

The result was many parents choosing to keep their children home on Thursday and Friday, after threats were reportedly made that an incident might occur during a lunch period on one of those days.

“I’m a parent myself and I understand that parents are constantly looking out for the sake of their children,” Wilson said.

However, she added, “What happened was the facts were exaggerated to the point that in many cases it was simply false rumors.”

As the Scott County Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation at the school and at least one student was escorted from the campus in handcuffs, rumors ran rampant. One popular rumor was that a “hit list” was circulating that named numerous students and faculty at the school. Another was that weapons had been discovered at the school.

While several students, faculty members and school administrators were reportedly the subject of verbal threats, no hit list has surfaced, Wilson said. The school system’s technology department has searched dilligently online for a hit list, while the Sheriff’s Department has conducted its investigation seperately and the attorney general’s office has assigned two people to the case.

“If there ever was a hit list, it’s been erased or taken from public view,” Wilson said. “We’ve yet to see it.”

On MBR Channel 5’s “Scott County Issues” program Sunday evening, at least one caller stated that a hard copy of the list had been turned over to the Sheriff’s Department. However, the department reported that none of its deputies had received such a list.

On Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Department searched the school, personal property and some students for weapons, but none were found.

“There were no weapons found at any time last week at school,” Wilson said. “Lockers were searched and personal belongings were searched.”

A student was suspended from school on Monday in accordance with the school system’s zero tolerance policy after being found in possession of a pocket knife, she said. However, Monday’s incident was unrelated to last week’s incidents.

The alleged threats were apparently made after increased tensions that resulted from a poster incident during the school’s Spirit Week, which preceded the homecoming football game against Livingston Academy on October 12.

During a poster contest, a poster appeared stating, “Goths Rule.” School administrators removed the poster when it was discovered.

“It was taken down not because it said anything about gothic, but because it was not in compliance with the rules of the poster contest,” Wilson said.

Before the poster was removed, however, a student had penciled “Jesus Loves You” over the original text.

“From there it became a religious issue, and one thing led to another and these so-called death threats were made,” Wilson said.

The students were expelled from school for the remainder of the school year.

The Sheriff’s Department maintained a heightened level of security at the school throughout last week, and had two school resource officers in place at the school this week, rather than the usual one officer. A third officer was to be added as personnel resources at the Sheriff’s Department would allow.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to hold this level of security for a while until everyone feels comfortable again,” Wilson said.

Parents of students who are expelled from school have the right to a hearing to contest that expulsion. The parents of one of the students who was expelled decided to appeal the expulsion, Wilson said. A hearing was to have been held Tuesday.

Wilson credited the work of school principal Bill Hall, who she said had worked “day and night” since the incidents occurred last week. While she admits that it will be impossible to dispel all the unfounded or exaggerated rumors borne of the incidents, she said that the next step as the school continues to get back to normal is to continue to deal with related issues.

“We’ll just have to work through [issues] as we come to them,” she said. “We’re going to have to pay closer attention to monitoring what could be volatile situations and get to these things before they become real issues.”