He said one of the issues behind what happened is that there are sewer traps underneath sinks and eyewash stations in that classroom.
"Because of the inactivity for so many months during the summer, that sewer gas can build up without a constant flow of water to keep that sewer gas under the building," Scheu said.
He said the new regular duties of custodians will be to flush water through some of the sewer traps to prevent the buildup of gas.
The district also will look into why one of the building air handlers was shut off, Scheu said. The air handlers regulate the climate where the formaldehyde is stored, he said.
"We definitely will be open and we're good to go for school tomorrow," Scheu said.
UPDATE @ 1:56 p.m.:
The odor turned out to be formaldehyde in a science storage room used for dissection, Sidney Deputy Fire Chief Cameron Haller said.
Haller said an air handling unit had malfunctioned.
The odor was isolated to 15 people.
Five students were taken to a hospital and nine were picked up by their parents. One teacher was evaluated at the scene.
Haller said only a few classrooms were evacuated and the school day remained normal for all other parts of the building.
UPDATE @ 1 p.m.
Sidney City Schools Superintendent John Scheu said some students from Sidney High School became ill and will be transported to a local hospital for observation after an unknown odor in the school.
Scheu described the odor as a sewer smell but said the issue was not believed to be related to a natural gas problem.
Scheu also said the school was not evacuated, updating initial reports dispatchers told to this newsroom.
The source of the odor is still under investigation.
There were no plans for an early release at Sidney High School.
We’ll continue to update this page as we learn more.
UPDATE @ 12:28 p.m.:
At least one person has been transported to the hospital following an unknown odor at Sidney High School, officials said.
School officials said the science wing of the high school was evacuated after the smell was discovered and the fire department was called in to investigate.
We’re working to learn what the source of the odor may be.
INITIAL REPORT
Sidney High School has been evacuated this afternoon due to an unknown odor at the facility, according to dispatchers.
The odor was reported at the school around noon.
We’re working to learn more.
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