CHARLOTTE, Mich. — This is only the third day of school for students and staff at Galewood Elementary School, and it was anything but boring.
About 200 students and staff had to be rushed off the property after getting a notification that there was a gas leak.
"We got notification of the potential possibility of a gas leak right around Galewood's building. We are doing some construction there with our bond. We of course react for staff and student safety first," said Charlotte Public Schools superintendent Mandy Stewart.
Galewood is an early childhood development school with students between the ages of 4 and 6 years old.
Stewart says the children were taken outside and lined up against fences on the outer perimeter of the school's property.
To keep the kids calm, teachers led them in song while district officials figured out next steps.
"We had tables set outside, so we could find out who was coming and what classroom. Then we had shuttle people going to grab students making sure we saw them greet the parent. Then we had parents sign students out," said Stewart.
Police, fire and Consumers Energy all came out to assess what was happening on the school grounds, and the children were bused over to Charlotte High School where they had lunch and waited for their parents to pick them up.
Stewart says the notification of the leak came in sometime after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning, and all of the children were returned home by about 1 p.m.
She says gas service was shutoff as a precaution, but it has been restored.
The school is undergoing construction, getting a new parking lot, upgraded classrooms and other improvements, which may have caused the issue.
FOX 47 News has confirmed with district officials that all students and staff will be able to return to school at their normal time and designated classrooms Thursday.
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