Just before 2 P.M. on Thursday, West Vigo Elementary was evacuated after school officials say several students became sick while in the building.
“A handful of students came down to the school nurse coughing and complaining of some eye irritation,” said Bill Riley, VCSC Director of Communications.
Riley says the number of students that became ill was less than 10 but officials moved quickly to get students out of the building and with their parents.
“We were made aware of this situation and i would say within 15 minutes we had students outside the building,” Riley said.
While students were evacuating the building emergency crews entered West Vigo Elementary to search for the cause of the students symptoms.
Firefighters with the sugar creek fire department say, so far, they have been unable to find out exactly what made students sick.
“Our crews went inside West Vigo Elementary with our gas meters and they were unable to detect any type of odor when they arrived,” said Josh Sittler, Sugar Creek Fire PIO.
Riley says as more tests are performed on West Vigo Elementary on Friday and over the weekend, they are focusing on student safety and constant communication.
“Anything that goes wrong with your child there’s a sense of fear but we are communicating regularly with parents,” Riley said.
Riley says most students symptoms did clear after exiting West Vigo Elementary.
The Sugar Creek Fire Department has recommended that the school corporation check their heating and cooling system, as a possible cause.
Friday, students who are walkers are asked to meet at West Vigo Elementary where they will be shuttled to Sugar Creek.
Bus riders will be picked up as normal where they will later be dropped off at Sugar Creek Consolidated.
Riley says car riders should be dropped directly at Sugar Creek for Friday.
