A cougar sighting at Ocean Shores Elementary School didn’t mean time off school, but it did keep the kids inside for a couple of days until state Fish & Wildlife personnel assessed the situation and gave the all-clear.

“I am not sure who actually spotted the cougar,” said Principal Rhonda Ham. “The school just received a phone call from an Ocean Shores police officer Monday informing us that a cougar had been spotted on the school grounds.”

Fish & Wildlife officials were on the scene late Monday “and informed us on Tuesday that the incident did not appear to be a recurring one and believed it would be OK for us to return to our usual school procedures with an awareness to the surroundings,” Ham said.

Students were sent home Monday after school with a letter informing their parents of the sighting, but school continued as normal, minus outdoor activities.

Some sources at the school said cougar sightings in the area don’t happen every day, but are not completely uncommon.

In regard to the school itself Ham said, “In my 31 years of working for the North Beach School District, this is only the second incident of a cougar sighting on school grounds of which I am aware.”

Another sighting was reported in August of 2009, according to the Fish & Wildlife website.