Tests results bring no answers at Beloit school

Beloit — Early test results from the Ohio EPA failed to uncover the source of the rash that affected 37 students and staff of West Branch schools this month.

The school district received notice today that the EPA’s preliminary tests for asbestos, insulation fibers, pesticides and organic and metal irritants revealed no abnormalities, according to a press release.

The EPA and state health department conducted tests last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday while Beloit Elementary School was closed. Signs of the rash — doctors have identified as non-contagious dermatitis — first appeared on fourth-grade students at the school March 15.