COVINGTON, Va. (WFXR) — Students at Covington Middle School were evacuated on January 31 after an odor was detected throughout the school.
According to school officials, around 2:15 p.m. on Friday, an “unrecognizable odor” was detected prompting an orderly evacuation of students and staff as a safety precaution.
“We are very, very pleased by the swift action of many community members to cooperate and help us get our students home under unusual circumstances,” said Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools.
The decision was advised by the Covington Department of Public Works and students were relocated to the Covington Recreation Center near the school.
The origin of the odor remains under investigation.
“Our staff will always prioritize student safety. We are thankful for our community’s trust and understanding especially when we must take action to evacuate while also messaging families about details surrounding situations like these. We work diligently to keep students safe, and families informed,” Halterman and Snead-Johnson added.
AHPS families are encouraged to monitor AHPS communications which are updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchools and Instagram at ahpublicschools. You can also find information at www.ahps.k12.va.us.