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Seventh-grade students in a third-floor science lab reported a strange odor around 10:00 a.m. at Pentucket Middle School on Monday, May 1, according to the public relations team for fire and school districts.
Thirty-nine students were evaluated at the scene, six of whom complained of symptoms including nausea. One student felt unwell and was transported to a local hospital.
The report triggered evacuations for both the Pentucket middle and high school, coordinated by the West Newbury Police School Resource Officer.
An initial investigation conducted by a hazmat team found that the cause of the strong odor was a refrigerant leak from a rooftop HVAC unit, according to a joint statement made by West Newbury Police Chief Michael Dwyer and Superintendent Justin Bartholomew at around 3:00 p.m. the same day.
The unit was shut off and the school district's HVAC contractor will confirm that the leak occurred and repair the unit.
School was dismissed for the day and after school activities were cancelled. An email to parents said that students who drove to school will be allowed to drive home, and students who drove and evacuated without their keys will be allowed to take the bus.
The middle school wing was vented to disperse the odor.
The West Newbury Fire Department responded to the scene and called a hazmat team to investigate, a process that will likely take hours.
The following groups provided mutual aid:
- West Newbury Police
- Groveland Police and Fire
- Merrimac Fire
- West Newbury Fire
- Action Ambulance
- Atlantic Ambulance
- Cataldo Ambulance
- Georgetown Fire Ambulance
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