Snake found in Charlotte classroom, students sent home

CHARLOTTE — Students at a charter school in southwest Charlotte got an unexpected guest that ended up sending all of them home Thursday.

It was a snake inside a classroom, according to a message sent to parents from Unity Classical Charter School.

Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the school around noon Thursday and saw students leaving, along with a long line of parents waiting to pick their kids up.

A message on ParentSquare says the school had to close “due to the discovery of a snake in one of the classrooms.” The school confirmed to Channel 9 that a teacher found the snake after coming back in from recess.

“Out of an abundance of caution, our staff made the decision to send students home immediately until we were certain there was no longer a risk,” school officials said in a statement Thursday.

Shannon King, a mother of a student at Unity Classical, told Channel 9′s Evan Donovan that this is the second time this has happened.

“I don’t know if snakes like the school or what,” King said.

No one was hurt.

One school official told Channel 9 that the snake was believed to be a Copperhead, but it wasn’t caught. It’s not clear what kind of snake it was.

The school says it’s working with animal control to remove the snake. According to the school, a snake wrangler said there’s concern about the possibility of snake eggs or juvenile snakes because of a delayed mating season due to the heat. No other snakes were reported to be found as of Thursday.

School officials told Channel 9 that the wildlife expert they spoke with said copperheads also love the seasonal foods like cicadas.

King and other parents say they just hope these snakes find another place to snack.

The school is planning to reopen Friday.

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