PENNSBURG, Pa. - Students at a high school in Montgomery County were relocated Wednesday after chemicals were incorrectly placed in a pool’s filtration system, leading to a "smoky environment" in other parts of the building.
Students at Upper Perkiomen High School were relocated to the auditorium at the opposite end of the building, according to the Upper Perkiomen School District Superintendent's Office. School workers began airing out the building and contacted local authorities, who dispatched a hazmat team to the school, the district said.
Since the district is in the midst of midterms, there are fewer students in the building than a typical school day, the district said.
"We have no reason to believe that the environment within the school is harmful or dangerous in any way, but given the circumstances, we are in the process of dismissing all students who drove to school," the superintendent's office said.
Students who ride on the bus will relocate to the middle school until they can catch their typical bus home at the end of the school day. Additionally, PM Western Center students returning from WMCTC will either be dropped off at the middle school to get their usual bus home, or they will be able to walk to their car that is parked on campus.
The Montgomery County HazMat team says the chemical reaction in the area below the pool has been stabilized. There are no chemical or inhalation concerns. The district has been given the “all clear” to occupy the building and the air in the school is safe.
The district plans to hold its Wrestling Senior Night event as scheduled at the high school. Other after-school/evening activities have either been postponed or moved to other locations.
The district says it plans to have school as scheduled Thursday.
