Junior High School Resumes Classes After Carbon Monoxide Exposure
Students Released From Hospital
Last updated Friday, February 11, 2005 10:19 PM CST in Front
By Sharla Bardin and Kristin Netterstrom
The Morning News
Related Photos
BENTONVILLE -- School resumed Friday at Washington Junior High School, a day after a high level of carbon monoxide shut the school down and sent students to the hospital.
An old boiler in the school could be behind the high levels of gas, according to a Bentonville Fire Department report.
All of the students treated Thursday for exposure to carbon monoxide were discharged and "everybody is doing well," said Dr. Brad Johnson, medical director at Northwest Medical Center of Benton County and Benton County medical director.
Fifty-one students were transported and treated at the medical center with symptoms that included headaches and nausea. More students came to the hospital Thursday night with a total of 83 evaluated, Johnson said.
Officials of the junior high contacted the Fire Department on Thursday to check the carbon monoxide levels after several students reported headaches, with many in a specific location in the school.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless poisonous gas.
When firefighters returned to the school Friday morning, they discovered carbon monoxide levels higher in the mechanical room with an old boiler.
The old boiler was broken down and investigators found the boiler had corrosion on the burners, which emitted higher carbon monoxide levels, according to the report.
The carbon monoxide was filtering into the classrooms via openings at the ceiling level along the support beams, according to the report.
Fire Chief Dan White said Friday that, "while we've not got a 100 percent deal on it," the boiler is the suspected source.
The boiler heats the water feeding the water-source heat pump system used at the school, said Joe Haynie, the school district's interim construction manager.
The Fire Department left a gas monitor for school employees to use, but White said the building was safe.
Haynie said school officials are leaning toward the boiler as the culprit but he has questions about why it didn't pose problems before Thursday.
Haynie said he plans to keep checking other sources that could have caused the problems.
He and Superintendent Gary Compton made the decision to open the school Friday.
Haynie said sensors were used to test the carbon monoxide levels throughout Thursday night and Friday morning.
Compton said Friday in a recorded message to The Morning News that officials were monitoring the levels every hour Friday and the readings were zero.
Judy Marquess, Washington principal, spotted most of the students who went to the hospital back at school Friday.
The principal said she didn't talk to any parents Friday who decided to keep their children home but it is possible some did.
She said teachers and students were relaxed Friday and it was business as usual at the school.
Washington Junior High School has 1,045 students -- in seventh through ninth grades -- and about 125 employees, school officials have said.
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
