HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Hazardous materials crews called to Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School on Friday found nothing unusual in air quality tests, the school's leader said.
For now, what prompted an evacuation and an estimated 40 students and staff being taken to area hospitals remains a mystery.
In a message to parents, school CEO Susan Mauser said the incident began around noon after a handful of staff members reported not feeling well.
"The fire department and hazmat teams checked the buildings for abnormalities regarding oxygen, flammable gases, carbon monoxide and hydrogen flouride," Mauser said in the message. "They found that all levels were within normal range.
"Hazmat also conducted a visual inspection for hazardous materials and did not find anything."
Mauser said the school's HVAC units were all working properly, as were its carbon monoxide detectors. Air quality specialists will be brought in to continue to evaluate the building, she said.
The school is on Valley Center Parkway, off Schoenersville Road, just north of Route 22 in Northampton County. It serves 1,825 students from kindergarten to 12th grade in several buildings. The evacuation happened in the building used by the upper grades.
Township Fire Chief Scott Van Why said first responders were called around noon after 11 people reported feeling ill.
EMS teams provided triage as more cases presented, and the Lehigh County Hazmat Team began testing the air, he said.
Neither he nor Colonial Regional Police Chief James DePalma commented Friday on any suspected cause for the illnesses. Officials provided no details on the patients’ symptoms or health status.
“We are asking the public to please avoid the area due to the active scene to let the emergency crews do their job,” Van Why said. Behind him, a long line of cars and buses snaked toward the pick-up location for students.
The patients were sent to different hospitals, with 12 children and five adults going to nearby Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenberg, according to a hospital spokesperson.
St. Luke’s University Health Network received nine patients at the Fountain Hill and Anderson campuses and all nine were released, according to a St. Luke’s spokesperson.
The school held an early dismissal, causing congestion as concerned parents rushed to get their children.
Long lines of traffic clogged Valley Center Parkway so badly that parents began pulling over wherever they could, figuring they could reach their children faster on foot.
