New Seattle school to close for rest of school year
South Shore School, which just moved into a brand-new building in September, will be closed for the remainder of the school year as the Seattle School District tries to identify what is causing some students and teachers to become ill.
Seattle Times education reporter
JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The brand new South Shore K-8 school in Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood.
South Shore School, which just moved into a brand-new building in September, will be closed for the remainder of the school year as the Seattle School District tries to identify what is causing some students and teachers to experience symptoms such as itchy eyes, nausea, rashes and headaches.
There will be no school for South Shore students for at least a week while the district figures out where to move them, according to district spokeswoman Patti Spencer. Students and teachers will finish out the year in one or more alternative locations, which have yet to be determined.
The problems, which first emerged in January, quieted for a while then erupted again this past week after the southeast Seattle school's heating and ventilation system was reportedly turned off over the weekend.
To address the air-quality concerns, the district had been running the system around the clock for months,