Students to return to Longfellow Elementary Friday following carbon monoxide leak

A Kansas City elementary school reopens Friday after a carbon monoxide leak sent several students to the hospital on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Elle Moxley, a spokeswoman for Kansas City Public Schools, announced that carbon monoxide levels had returned to zero following a leak that evacuated the school the day before.

“After conducting many tests today to ensure the HVAC was operating correctly, our staff and students will be back at Longfellow tomorrow,” Moxley said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon. “We will continue to provide extra support to them the rest of this week and next.”

Officials determined the leak was caused by a problem with fresh air intake, Moxley said.

Since the leak was discovered at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, students have been attending class at Manual Career and Technical Center and Woodland Early Leaning Center.

Seven students and two staff members were hospitalized as a result, Moxley said. All have since been released.

Staff contacted emergency personnel and evacuated the building Wednesday after some students said they felt sick, Moxley said.

When fire crews arrived on scene they said carbon monoxide levels in the school were so high that they maxed out some of the department’s equipment.

The district is considering closing Longfellow Elementary School along with 10 other schools in the next few years under a proposed restructuring plan. Longfellow, along with Central High School and Troost and James Elementary schools, could close as early as next fall.

Consultants recommended Longfellow’s closure because of its enrollment of less than 250 students, poor building condition and more than $6.5 million of deferred maintenance costs. Moxley said the building has a low capacity of 325 students and while the population of school-age children in the area has increased, public school enrollment hasn’t.

The district is seeking community feedback before the school board votes on a final plan in December. Moxley said the meeting for Longfellow should be held some time next week.

Andrea Klick and Sarah Ritter contributed to this report.