A loaded handgun and suspected edible marijuana were found in a student's book bag Monday morning at Akron Public Schools' SOAR facility in South Akron, according to the Summit County Sheriff's Office.

In a news release, the sheriff's office said that it responded to the facility, which is located at 65 Steiner Ave., around 9 a.m. Monday because of a student who attempted to bring a loaded handgun inside. A security guard found the gun in the student's bag at the entrance, along with suspected edible marijuana, which will be sent to a lab for testing, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said the student said she didn't know the items were in her bag. She was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and taken to the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center.

SOAR, which stands for Student Outreach Alternative Resource, is a program Akron Public Schools contracts services through to a private company. The program is for APS students who have been disciplined by the board of education and assigned to SOAR, said Mark Williamson, Akron Public Schools director of marketing and communications.

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"Every student enters through a metal detector, so the security team we have there, through the Summit County Sheriff's Office, kept this from being a more serious threat by keeping the student from entering a common area at the Ott Building on Steiner Avenue," Williamson said in an email. "We are grateful every day for the safety provided to our students and staff by our security detail.  Sheriff's deputies, Akron police, and Akron Public Schools own security team deserve a great deal of credit for assuring the safety of students and staff."

According to its website, "SOAR works in tandem with Akron Public Schools to give students the best opportunity possible to return to school and prosper." It operates on the same calendar as Akron Public Schools, with Akron Public Schools providing breakfast and lunch for all SOAR students. It also follows Akron Public Schools' dress code.

SOAR is a part of the LEAP Program, according to the program's website, which says it provides "Special Education instruction and related services to students from individual school districts who require a more specialized educational setting than is available in the public school."