ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of what was confirmed as meth inside an Elkton elementary school.
The sheriff’s office originally said in a statement Friday that it was not confirmed that the substance was fentanyl, but as of Saturday morning, officials provided the following update regarding testing of the substance:
After additional testing with more advanced equipment, the substance tested positive as meth. The substance is being rushed to a lab for additional chemical analysis, which could take a couple of days.
Multiple concerned parents reached out to News4JAX after they received an email from school officials that said a student unknowingly brought the drug to South Woods Elementary School.
The incident happened Thursday, but parents said they were not notified until Friday afternoon. The sheriff’s office said no students or staff were exposed to the dangerous drug.
According to the email, SJSO said it tested the substance, and it came back as presumptive fentanyl. One parent called the ordeal “very concerning.”
“I don’t understand how something like this could make its way into an elementary school, especially in a community like ours. It’s definitely raised some major concerns,” Amanda LaRose told News4JAX. “I feel like we should definitely be able to know if our kids would possibly be in contact with it. The email that came through is very discrete with very vague information, and it came to light that this was learned yesterday.”
In the email that went out to parents, Principal Angie Rogers said appropriate actions were taken to clean the areas where the student occupied.
Where and how the student gained access to the drug is unclear, but the SJSO acknowledged through a written statement that deputies are actively investigating the situation.
Since the investigation is still underway, the sheriff’s office said it cannot release additional details on the incident.
Read the full statement from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office below: