Bomb threat closes 3 North Carolina charter schools

Three charter schools in Lincoln County, N.C., were evacuated after administrators received a bomb threat via email Wednesday morning, officials said.

Students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade were bused to nearby churches after a message sent to the Denver Main Campus of the Lincoln County Charter School threatened to bomb schools sometime between Wednesday and Friday, reported the Gaston, N.C. Gazette.

The schools will be shut down for the day while officials search the three campuses, according to NBC's Charlotte affiliate WCNC.com.

Lincoln County is about 35 miles outside of Charlotte. According to its website, the Lincoln County Charter School was founded in 1997 and is divided into a K-8 program in Lincolnton, N.C., and a K-5 and 6-12 program in Denver.