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Several schools in New Jersey were suspended Thursday after the mayor of Emerson received a bomb threat and schools in over a dozen towns reacted seriously to the threat. Over 12,000 students in the state of New Jersey will have no classes Thursday.School officials are taking the threat seriously and ordered the suspension of classes as a precaution to the bomb threat. Parents and students of those affected schools were also alarmed of the threat.

Authorities said the bomb threat was relayed to the mayor of Emerson. Bomb disposal teams were now scouring schools in Emerson, Oradell and Washington Township.

Reports said Carol Dray, a clerk at the Emerson borough, received the bomb threat Wednesday which was addressed to Emerson Mayor Lou Lamatina.

“All three schools will be blown out on Thursday, September 20th at 11:30 am, with two other schools in near by towns,” the letter states.

Emerson police immediately notified nearby police departments of the threat because the letter did not specify which “other schools” were included in the target.

Administrators of five school in Oradell met at the Borough Hall to discuss the threat. They later decided to close down the schools Thursday until Friday. The shutdown includes all school-sponsored extracurricular activities.

The following districts will be closing schools on Thusday - Emerson, Oradell, River Edge, Closter, Demarest, Haworth, Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, River Vale, Westwood, as well as Parochial schools in those districts.

UPDATE: Students are expected back in classes on Friday.

Authorities worked through the night Wednesday and into the day Thursday to check about 60 school buildings, Bergen County Police Capt. Kevin Hartnett said. His department got help from police and sheriff’s departments from New Jersey and New York, which lent officers and bomb-sniffing dogs.

No explosive devices were found.

Officials said they chose to err on the side of caution.