PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. -- Families in Prince George County are expressing concerns about the way the county's school districts handled claims of an odor that is making students sick.
Cindy Simmons says she received a concerned call from her daughter around lunchtime Wednesday afternoon regarding her three grandchildren who attend South Elementary in Prince George.
She said her daughter was notified by one of the teachers earlier in the day that there was a strong odor that may be causing problems on campus.
One of Simmons' grandchildren said they noticed the odor first on Monday. However, on Wednesday morning one of the children claimed to have a headache and one had a stomachache.
When she arrived at the school she claimed there were other parents picking up their children for similar reasons.
Simmons says she noticed the smell immediately upon entering the parking lot to check out her grandkids.
“It was strong enough for me as an adult to notice it. I was not immediately sick but for little kids to be in an enclosed area… and it was very strong,” she said.
It wasn’t until hours later that the family said they officially received word from the school about the problem.
The district told families it was not gas but an odor coming from a boiler unit installed at the school last summer.
They stated in the phone recording sent out that the school shut down the boiler as a precaution along and opened doors and windows for ventilation. They said there was no danger to any students.
Simmons questioned how they expected young kids to sit in classrooms all day with the windows open in winter, and how they expected them to focus or not be overcome with the smell.
She said she believed it was not harmful enough to hurt the kids but believed it was still strong enough for them to close schools.
“The district leaders are not in a closed-up room in the school. Make those people sit there and smell it all day instead of the children," Simmons said. "I just don’t think it was handled well or it was a safe situation."
A school district spokesperson said staff worked directly with their health services team to address the situation. They said an airborne carbon monoxide test was conducted and nothing was found.
The school additionally said that only one person reported the odor from Monday through Wednesday morning. They added that they are working to communicate with families in a timely manner.
“The safety of our students and entire school community will always be a top priority for Prince George County Public Schools," a district spokesperson said.
The district said the school will continue to be open. They said the measures they take are working to get out the odor and believe the boiler is expected to be repaired by Wednesday night which would eliminate the odor.
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