‘Smelled like sewage and death’: Parents question safety after school odor incident
By Rachael Perry
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PALM CITY, Florida (WPBF) — Parents of students at a local middle school are demanding more information after they claim a foul odor forced some children to leave campus.
The incident happened on Wednesday at Hidden Oaks Middle School in Palm City. According to the principal, the unpleasant odor may have stemmed from a portable restroom on campus.
Parents of students at the middle school told WPBF 25 News that their children described the odor as rotten eggs, sewage, and death.
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Christopher Forte, the principal at Hidden Oaks Middle School, first issued the following statement to parents on Wednesday afternoon.
“We want to make you aware that maintenance crews are on campus today conducting a scheduled roof cleaning using a non-toxic spray that created an unpleasant odor, which lingered into some buildings, but caused no harm to students and staff. We sincerely apologize that families were not notified in advance and appreciate your understanding.” — Christopher Forte, Principal.
However, later that evening, Forte issued a second statement where he explained that the smell may have actually come from a portable restroom on campus.
The release is as follows:
“Hidden Oaks Middle School Families,
We want to make you aware of a situation that occurred on campus today involving an unpleasant odor and provide you with updated information.
Earlier today, we shared an initial message with you based on the information available at that time. Based on additional review, the odor appears to be associated with activity involving a portable restroom on campus that is part of an ongoing roofing project. The project is being performed by HiTech Roofing, and the unit was serviced by Coastal Waste and Recycling during the school day. The odor was described as sulfur-like.
While multiple vendors were operating on site at the time, this situation reflects a breakdown in coordination that should not have occurred, and we are addressing that directly.
Immediate steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence. The portable restroom has been relocated away from the building, and service to the unit will not occur during school hours. We are also reviewing site coordination protocols to strengthen oversight moving forward.
If your child is experiencing any health-related concerns, we encourage you to consult your healthcare provider and notify our school so we can remain aware and responsive.
The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority. We are committed to addressing this situation and ensuring stronger coordination moving forward.
Thank you for your continued support.” — Christopher Forte, Principal.
WPBF 25 News Reporter Rachael Perry spoke with parents of children who attend Hidden Oaks Middle School and heard concerns regarding both children and staff reporting feeling sick and coming home with a rash.
WPBF reached out to the school district about those claims. A spokesperson said they are aware of the concerns that were raised and continue to monitor and respond as appropriate.
Jeffrey and his wife Amanda have a daughter who attends the middle school, and said she came home early Wednesday because of the smell.
“Our daughter called my wife during the day, around 10 a.m., and told her that she was sick. I guess there was a smell that was reported in the building, and she came home, and she had a rash on her leg, and she was nauseous for a little bit,” Jeffrey said.
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Amanda posted about the incident in a private Facebook group for Palm City parents. Her post has more than one hundred comments on it, with some parents sharing similar concerns.
Amanda said she kept her daughter home on Thursday and heard from other parents that the smell hadn’t gone away yet. She also said it seemed that the upstairs classrooms were the most impacted.
“It makes us feel unsafe to be able to send her back at this point right now because he [a school staff member] should have been evacuating those classrooms and calling the fire department or somebody to at least come and investigate,” she said.
Leadership at the middle school is encouraging parents to contact their child’s health care provider and notify the school if their child is experiencing any health-related concerns.
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