WEST POINT, Utah - A bus driver called police when he saw a student carrying what turned out to be a replica of a Civil War-era rifle that had been displayed in class all year. The call led to a 47-minute lockdown at West Point Junior High School and two elementary schools.

The lockdown was appropriate because "in this day and age, you need to err on the side of caution," Davis County sheriff's Lt. Brad Wilcox said.

But some improvements could be made, he added.

The ninth-grade student was taking the handmade replica to his mother's vehicle Thursday, said Andrea Bos, a Davis School District spokeswoman.

"He'd taken it to school at the beginning of the year. The teacher liked it so much he wanted him to leave it in the class all year," Bos said.

A bus driver saw it and called 911.

The student was allowed to attend a trip to Lagoon, an amusement park, with the rest of his class, Bos said.