Back to school in West Branch today

BELOIT — West Branch Local School District pupils returned to school today, after a second round of health testing failed to uncover the cause of a rash that affected 37 kids last week.

The outbreak — which began in a Beloit Elementary classroom — prompted district superintendent to close all the district’s schools Friday. The buildings were cleaned with a “hospital-grade” disinfectant Friday and Saturday.

Following the sterilization, the county health department and Mahoning County Hazardous Materials Response Team performed a second inspection of all schools’ air and surfaces. Nothing “unusual or concerning” was discovered, said Superintendent Scott Weingart.

“I wish I could tell parents exactly what caused this,” he said. “At this point, we do not know,” he said. “It is our job to be as diligent as possible to examine the classroom areas to make certain they are safe. With the help of HazMat and others, I feel confident that we have done that.”