Pupils and staff at the recently built Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove got a scare Wednesday morning when a stove in the home economics room began leaking gas, sending a dozen schoolchildren and one teacher to hospitals.
The pupils and teacher were treated for dizziness and nausea and released by the afternoon, several hours after staff members smelled gas in the home economics room, officials said.
About 25 pupils, ages 11 and 12, were in the room when the leak was noticed, prompting school officials to clear the room, said Thomas Many, superintendent of Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96.
“Students were quickly moved to the Learning Center for safety while members of the custodial staff shut off the gas supply and contacted authorities,” Many said.
Officials decided not to evacuate the rest of the 600-pupil school after firefighters from the Countryside Fire Protection District determined no other rooms were affected, Many said.
No other classes were interrupted at the school, 6362 Gilmer Rd., where construction was completed 18 months ago.
“We found that the leak originated with a stove. It wasn’t a problem with the school’s general gas service,” said Jeff Steingart, Countryside assistant fire chief.
Investigators had not determined the cause of the stove problem Wednesday afternoon, but Steingart said, “I would imagine they’d be able to use the [home economics] classroom tomorrow.”
School officials notified the gas supplier, North Shore Gas Co., and “the gas supply will not be turned back on until the district receives clearance from the gas company,” Many said.
The superintendent said he wanted to assure parents that the incident did not involve carbon monoxide and that medical staff said the fumes would have no lasting medical effects on the children.
Two dozen firefighters, six ambulances and two firetrucks were called to the school from the Countryside and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection Districts and the Lake Zurich and Mundelein Fire Departments.
Six of the sickened pupils were taken to Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, four were taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and two were taken to Highland Park Hospital, hospital officials said.
All were treated for nausea, headache and vomiting and released. It was not known where the teacher was treated, Many said.
“Parents are encouraged to contact their family physician if students are complaining about dizziness or nausea,” he said.
