ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Students and staff at Gamble Rogers Middle School were moved to Menendez High School Monday morning while St. Johns County firefighters and a gas company crew searched for the source of a propane leak.
Authorities said the students were evacuated about 8 a.m. as a precaution and that everyone was safe.
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St. Johns County Fire Rescue was monitoring as Suburban Propane found and stopped a leak from a liquid propane tank near the boiler room.At last report, the school was being ventilated to clear any gas or gas odor from the school.
"We usually drop off on the back side of the school, (and) we smelled it," parent Michael Traydon said. "I smelled a little bit of gas and thought this is kind of weird. My thought (was) maybe they're working on something."
The students were bused to Menendez and parents were notified with robocalls.
"Moving students is never easy... but these two schools have come together and done a great job," said Paul Abbatinozzi, director of student services. "They have buddy school plans within their operations, so there's a setup at the buddy school: where are they going to put the kids, transportation steps."
School officials said the middle school students would finish the day at the high school and return to the Rodgers campus on Tuesday.
More than a dozen parents came to pickup their children even though school officials said the children were safe and urged parents to not come to the school.
"I came and asked them a few questions and they told me where to be, what was going to happen, what was going down, I was very pleased," one parent told News4Jax.com