Austintown schools evacuated early today

AUSTINTOWN — Watson Elementary and Frank Ohl Intermediate schools were evacuated for about 30 minutes this morning after construction crews working on the new school building accidentally hit a gas line.

Students from those buildings were taken to Fitch High and Austintown Middle schools until the gas was turned off and the township fire and county health department could inspect the site.

Superintendent Vincent Colaluca said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m., and students were out of the buildings and onto the busses within two minutes of the line break.

He said no gas was detected in either school, and students were cleared by the fire department to returned to class at about 9:30 a.m. The main gas line remains shut off, and Colaluca said it will be repaired over the weekend and inspected by Dominion East Ohio on Tuesday.

He said due to the lack of hot water the district, per the health department’s request, will serve bagged lunches today.