Concerns in Hamtramck grow amid smelly situation inside elementary school

Concerns grow over smelly situation inside elementary school

A teacher turned whistle-blower brought it to the attention of FOX 2, and she says students and teachers are missing school because of the smell.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (FOX 2) - It’s being called a smell of sewers at Dickinson East Elementary School in Hamtramck.

What they're saying:

A teacher turned whistle-blower brought it to the attention of FOX 2, and she says students and teachers are missing school because of the smell. We’re outside the school with details and both sides of the story.

A story like this always requires a bit of circumspection because not everyone will react to the same smell the same way. Meanwhile, a teacher said she noticed it and the children did also.

So we did go to the superintendent’s office as you can see here. 

FOX 2 later connected with Jim Larson-Shidler, Interim Superintendent of Schools. He said the issue came from Tuesday. Larson Shidler says some lines were recently replaced, and the odor is coming from a sump pump in a boiler room. When the work was done, he said the smell got out into the school but said he was in the building and there was no smell on Friday.

He said he got complaints from a few teachers and parents, but he visited the rooms in the wing of the building affected and said there’s no longer an issue. He said they had plumbing and maintenance in it, and it’s safe for everyone in the school. 

No one’s health or safety was in danger, according to him.

Students will be back in class on Monday.