Editor’s note: This story has been updated and corrected with information provided by the school district.
RAVENA — Students at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Middle School are being dismissed at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15 after a reported power outage.
The early dismissal only affects middle school students.
RCS parents received a Robocall notification from the district at around 9:15 a.m. about the early dismissal. According to an email sent by the district at 8:03 a.m., students and faculty were evacuated after a smoky odor was detected in the school right before the start of the day. Middle school students were initially bused to the adjacent high school as first responders and maintenance staff worked to locate the source.
Once students were dismissed, bus drivers were instructed to make sure each student had access to their homes upon arrival, RCS spokeswoman Stephanie Hunter said.
The cause of the outage was a faulty breaker, Hunter said. “Once we located the breaker, we contacted multiple local distributors and found one that could supply us with a new breaker,” she continued. “We are already in the process of replacing the faulty breaker with the new one. Once the new equipment is installed, an electrical inspection will be completed prior to students and staff returning to the building.”
The middle school should open, as scheduled, tomorrow morning, Hunter concluded.