Searching for ways to crack down on the recent slew of bomb threats, Richmond County officials hope to make your children safer and smarter.

With the number of bomb threats spiking to 129 this school year, school officials met with judges, law enforcement and other leaders Tuesday to discuss ways of reducing the classroom disruptions. Last year, there were 21 bomb threats.

"Our students are not in the classroom, and that's where we want them," Interim Superintendent James Thompson said.

With each bomb threat, pupils lose an average of two hours as the school is evacuated and searched by emergency personnel, Richmond County sheriff's Capt. P.A. Williams said.

And that adds up.

Murphey Middle School and Morgan Road Middle School have each had 35 bomb threats called in this year, which means they have lost days of time meant for instruction.

"I can't put a cost on lost instructional time," Mr. Thompson said.

But there are other costs as well.

Each bomb threat ties up firefighters, the bomb squad, K-9 units and multiple road deputies.

The response costs $800-$1,200 each time.

Capt. Williams said the whole county was tied up one day working four separate bomb threats.

And Lt. Scott Peebles, a sheriff's office violent crimes investigator, said it pulls resources away from rapes, armed robberies and murders.

Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools experienced problems similar to those in Richmond County.

But that district has all but eliminated the problem.

"I'm hesitant to get into the details of how the protocol works because we don't want to train students on how to circumvent the system, but suffice it to say, we went from over 40 hoax calls in a month to one or two," spokesman Bucky Burnsed wrote in an e-mail.

"We were at the point of considering Saturday school or extending the year because of lost seat time."

School officials evaluate threats and respond accordingly, he said. They also have also begun strictly enforcing a ban on cell phones.

Berrien County's south Georgia school district also has grown quiet in recent weeks after a handful of bomb threats, according to Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Mike Bochenko.

Last month, the Berrien County Board of Education began offering a $2,000 reward to encourage pupils to come forward with information, he said. A few pupils have stepped up with information, but he's unsure that produced any solid leads.

In Richmond County, school officials are continuing to seek answers. They also are working on new bomb threat procedures and will get additional training in August.

The key may be finding what motivates people to make threats, Lt. Peebles said.