Paynesville school evacuated after students become ill

Paynesville Area Secondary School was evacuated and closed Tuesday because of suspected air quality issues that also affected a choir concert Monday evening.

According to a statement from the Paynesville Area Health Care System, the hospital was notified at 9 p.m. Monday that several students had fallen ill at the choir concert. Nine patients were treated.

Tuesday morning, the hospital was notified at about 10 a.m. that students were experiencing lightheadedness, headaches, nausea and feeling faint. Ten patients were treated and released from the hospital’s emergency department, and a dozen were seen at the clinic.

The cause of the illness is undetermined and still under investigation, according to the release from the hospital.

Ashton Knapp, a ninth-grader at Paynesville Secondary School, said in a telephone interview that it was “an unforgettable choir concert” Monday, as students started fainting or leaving the stage because they felt ill. As the choir was about to begin its final song, the school was evacuated.

The school has about 500 students in grades 6-12.

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