Chemical odors keep Johnson County high school students from returning to campus
The Shawnee Mission School District had to temporarily close the doors of one of its schools at the end of last school year because roof repairs led to chemical odors contaminating the building.
Teachers reported migraines and difficulty breathing. Several called out sick. Students begged teachers to send them home, an employee told The Star. The odors led to an air quality report, which found dangerous levels of chemicals that can cause health problems.
After that, Horizons High School, an alternative high school program, evacuated and finished the year in a nearby high school’s gymnasium and district offices, with hopes the roof would get fixed before the fall.
Instead, the contractors had to start over and are working to replace the entire roof at the school site on Lamar Avenue.
Students will start their first day of school next week at Indian Creek School, 4401 W. 103rd St., in Overland Park until the project’s done.
“Obviously, this was not the outcome we were expecting, but it is the best decision for students and staff,” Shawnee Mission spokesperson David Smith told The Star in a statement.
Smith said the district doesn’t know when students can be back in the building.
In an email obtained by The Star, Superintendent Michael Schumacher told Horizons families that “we have not been satisfied with the solutions.”
“We do not want to risk any air quality issues or disruptions to the educational environment at the start of the school year, “ Schumacher said in the email. “I understand the challenges that the temporary relocation creates for families and staff, and the administration will do everything we can to provide support during this time.”
What happened at the end of the school year?
Roof repairs started in May with students and faculty still inside the building. On May 5, students and staff started noticing the pungent odors and several reported symptoms, said an employee who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the school or the district.
Four days later, teachers started going home with respiratory issues, the employee said. Students asked if they could call their parents to pick them up.
The district put air scrubbers in before the weekend to try and help clear the air before the following Monday, May 12.
When the week rolled around and the smell didn’t dissipate, the district pivoted and evacuated the building.
Students finished out the year in the Shawnee Mission North High School gymnasium and eventually the district’s offices.
Shawnee Mission contracted with Children’s Mercy Environmental Health Division to conduct an air quality test, which found four times the severe level of volatile organic compounds (VOC) — chemicals that are typically found in interior or exterior paints, gasoline, kerosene, varnishes, or other coatings.
Small concentrations of substances like VOCs are measured in nanograms per liter — which is one billionth of a gram. No government or organization has set a limit for the total VOC levels indoors, but the U.S. Green Building Council has set 500 nanograms per liter as a recommended limit.
Horizons VOC levels measured 12,000 nanograms per liter — almost 24 times the recommended limit and four times the severe level, which is 3,000 nanograms per liter.
According to the report, these compounds can linger for several months, sometimes longer.
New school year, new building
While it’s frustrating to know the students and staff won’t be returning to the building, “there is relief that we know we’re going somewhere safe,” the employee said.
However, some are concerned about the impact moving the students around will have on their learning experience, the employee said.
“These are kids who struggle in their big schools … they don’t feel safe, they just have a lot of anxiety and stuff. It can be traumatic,” the employee said. “Having that (inconsistency) can be hard.”
Horizons typically sees between 100 and 150 students enrolled. This year, 103 students are currently enrolled to start school this fall, but that number changes throughout the year, Shawnee Mission spokesperson Smith said.
With the new location, the school district is still working to arrange bus transportation for any student that needs it, Smith said.
When teachers evacuated the building, many of them left their supplies behind and couldn’t go back to clean their classrooms and prepare for the start of the year.
Smith said that the district has arranged for materials to be delivered at Indian Creek.
As someone who stresses for the upcoming school year, the changes in environment added to the employee’s stress, the employee said.
“I’m the kind of person who tries to make things better for the students, (but) I’m taking my hands away here. I can’t save this situation,” they said. “I’m just going to go in, be there for my kids, meet them, get to know them, and let them know it’s weird for me and (we’ll) do the best we can.”
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
