Two Southington schools were placed in secure mode for a little while on Tuesday morning after a bear was spotted nearby.
A message the superintendent of schools sent to parents said a black bear was seen in the vicinity of DePaolo Middle School, moving in the direction of Spring Lake.
Hatton Elementary School and Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School were briefly placed in secure school mode, but are now back to normal operations, according to the superintendent.
He added that police reported the bear has moved east, in the direction of Rogers Orchards, and away from any of any schools.
Between March 1, 2016 and Feb. 10, 2017, there were 96 reports of bear sightnings in Southington, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
