SAPULPA, Okla. — Sapulpa Public Schools says its aging furnaces are to blame for a natural gas odor sending junior and high school students home twice in six days for distance learning.
"The construction we have going on here, there's been some infrastructure changes, and there was a small gas leak (Dec. 5), which prompted us to go to distance learning on Friday," SPS spokesperson Heather Browne said on Dec. 11.
In a case of deja vu, parents already lined up Dewey Avenue to take their kids home for distance learning by lunchtime on Dec. 11.
Some parents commented on one of the district's Facebook updates about the problem that they didn't want their kids going to school in the first place after claims of nauseating odor filled the air.
Browne said repairs to a leaky half-century-old furnace in the auditorium area caused another furnace to fail to light, emitting another isolated smelly problem just days later.
- Previous coverage >>> Sapulpa High School and Sapulpa Junior High School in Distance Learning Friday
"We ended up having to call Oklahoma Natural Gas again, and the whole thing had to start all over again," she added.
ONG confirmed to 2 News the campus's gas service was fine, and that the issue was in one of the many furnaces on campus.
Safety is our top priority, so we want to remind everyone that if they have a natural gas emergency or smell natural gas, they should leave the area immediately and then call 911 and 800-458-4251. In addition, they should call 811 or submit a line locate request at OKIE811.org at least 48 hours before starting any digging project, excluding the date of notification, weekends and holidays.
Because of this, classwork for those not picked up was all done inside the Chieftain Center (a separate building) on student Chromebooks.
Student absence is not going to count against them if their parents picked them up, Browne added.
While not an ideal situation to have multiple times in one month, the district said student safety was never in serious doubt and no injuries have been reported.
The new Sapulpa High School being constructed remains a couple years away.
"We're looking forward to that," Browne said. "We just have a lot to contend with before then. Little hiccups."
Distance learning for junior and senior high schoolers will continue on Dec. 12 as professionals from ONG continue testing inside the affected building. Student semester exams take place next week.
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