Escambia County Middle School was the setting for a random drug search by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies Tuesday afternoon – a surprise sweep that ended with law enforcement happily reporting absolutely nothing was found.

ECMS principal Linda Shuford said she was thrilled students her school are choosing to live drug-free lives.

“I’m just thankful for (the deputies) coming out,” Shuford said. “We just want to make sure our students are secure and that they know they are in a safe environment.”

Sheriff’s deputies, armed with local K-9 units, converged on ECMS at approximately 1 p.m. and thoroughly checked each classroom and locker on the junior high school campus.

After just over an hour on the scene deputies declared the school to be drug free.

Shuford said, in an age when children are becoming involved with drugs and other illegal activities at a very young age, she was happy to see that students at ECMS don’t seem to be succumbing to the pressure to experiment with narcotics.

“I’m just very pleased,” Shuford said.