Methane gas at Raytown school has students virtual until further notice, district says
Work crews have excavated a chunk of a parking lot at Raytown South High School where natural gas has been wafting to the surface, school district officials have confirmed.
The issue, which was discovered just before the start of the school year, prompted officials with the Raytown School District to have students at the school and the nearby Herndon Career Center start the year virtually while the district worked on a fix. Athletics at the school campus have also been moved to other locations to start the school year, the district said.
District spokeswoman Marissa Cleaver Wamble said Monday the district did not have a timeline for work at the site. Initially, the district said students would begin with virtual instruction for the first week of school.
“Raytown South High students are virtual until further notice,” Cleaver Wamble said. “Obviously, we hope to have them back in the building very soon.”
Entrances to parking lots at the campus, home to both school locations, have been blocked off, and work continued in the large lot north of the high school, off Sterling Avenue, on Monday.
In an update shared with staff, parents and guardians last week, the school district said the Well Done Foundation, a nonprofit that plugs orphan oil and gas wells, had assessed the site and that contractors would begin excavating in the parking lot to determine the source of the escaping methane gas.
Possible causes include a failed geothermal well and an abandoned gas well, the group said. Under those scenarios, the WDF would supervise the installation of a flaring system to burn off the methane until the well could be dealt with under an approved plan with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the district said.
The district said WDF would recommend the installation of indoor and outdoor monitoring and alarm systems for during the work and after the work was finished.
The district said Herndon Career Center students would begin studies at the Raytown Schools Education and Conference Center two days a week starting Wednesday.
“We are grateful for the continued patience, support, and understanding of our staff and families as we work through this unexpected and complex issue,” the district said. “The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our highest priority, and we are committed to keeping you informed as we move forward.”
