Hilton Head Christian Academy students to return to school Wednesday after ‘threatening’ message on desk

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - [UPDATE as of 9/16/25 at 4:19 p.m.] The Hilton Head Christian Academy announced they will return to school Wednesday, September 17 after they received a message of “threatening nature” earlier in the week.

School officials said the message was determined not to be a credible threat. The school worked closely with the Bluffton Police Department and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday during this incident.

“The message was determined not to be a credible threat; however, we always take situations like this seriously to protect our students, faculty, and school community. We will return to school tomorrow, Wednesday, September 17,” said HHCA officials.

[ORIGINAL STORY] Hilton Head Christian Academy informed families they will be closing campus Tuesday after they received a message of “threatening nature.”

School officials said they are working closely with law enforcement and made this decision out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of their students and staff.

They said closing campus will allow time for a full review of the situation and will ensure the community is protected.

“We will provide updates as we are able and communicate next steps,” wrote school officials in a message to HHCA Families.

WTOC reached out to officials and learned that the threat originated from something that was written on a desk in one of the classrooms.

See statement from Hilton Head Christian below:

On the afternoon of September 15, while not a direct threat to our school or students, Hilton Head Christian Academy was made aware of a message of concerning nature. In light of recent national events, we are taking precautionary measures and are working closely with the Bluffton Police Department. The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is always our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, HHCA is closed today, Tuesday, September 16, 2025, to allow school leadership, in cooperation with authorities, to conduct a thorough review of the situation.

Hilton Head Christian officials

This incident appears to be isolated to just Hilton Head Christian Academy and not other schools in the area. Bluffton Police are at the school now investigating.

Bluffton Police has staffed extra officers at area schools they cover out of precaution.

There is not yet any word on if Hilton Head Christian Academy will open back up tomorrow.

WTOC is still working to get more information and will update this page as details become available.