LIVERMORE FALLS – A situation at the Middle School on Wednesday that began with a group of boys reportedly skipping school escalated into an investigation involving possible possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

The school originally contacted police shortly after 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Livermore Falls police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. said.

One of three boys, ages 12 and 13, who allegedly skipped school was in the office when Officer Ken Bryant responded to the school, the chief said.

The officer was called back to the school, Steward said, about 11:36 a.m. when the other two boys were there.

One of the two had the two pipes in his possession, Steward said. He apparently was holding one pipe for a friend, and the other was his, the chief said.

The boys could face charges for possessing drug paraphernalia: two pipes with marijuana residue, Steward said.

Rumors were flying, Middle School Principal Matt Gilbert said, about what had happened, and several parents called the school, he said, for information on the incident.

What started out as one type of situation with specific circumstances and very specific actions grew through word of mouth to become a completely different type of incident, Gilbert said.

“The emphasis for us was student safety,” said Gilbert, adding that parents or guardians were contacted, as well as police.

Students and their actions were dealt with individually, and school staff worked with their parents following a clear procedure to determine the intervention that needed to take place, said Gilbert, who commended Officer Bryant’s handling of the situation.

Anytime people have concerns, the principal said, they should call the school to find out what happened.

The incident remains under investigation, police said