Duval County Public Schools said the school will reopen beginning Friday after repairs were made and an inspection deemed the building safe for students.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Students and staff at Crown Point Elementary in Jacksonville were evacuated Thursday morning after a malfunction involving an air handler generated smoke that spread into four classrooms, according to Duval County Public Schools.
The school district said there was no fire, despite previously stating that one occurred. In an update Thursday afternoon, the district said the air fan issue has been fixed.
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Due to the malfunction, DCPS said students and staff were taken to Mandarin Middle School, where they remained for the rest of the day while building inspections were completed at Crown Point Elementary. Parents and guardians were allowed to pick up their students for the day from the middle school.
School will reopen as normal on Friday, Aug. 21. An independent vendor completed a “thorough inspection” of the building and deemed it safe for students and staff to return, according to the district.
“Thank you again for your patience and for entrusting us with your children,” Principal Katie O’Connell said in an email to families. “The safety and well-being of our students and staff will always be our highest priority.”