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Reported gas leak at Mint Hill elementary school 'false alarm,' officials say

MINT HILL, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said a reported gas leak at Lebanon Road Elementary School in Mint Hill Tuesday morning was a false alarm.

Channel 9 crews got to the school on Lebanon Road near Lawyers Road around 8:30 a.m. and could see dozens of students outside the building. Firefighters and paramedics were on scene investigating.

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MEDIC said they were dispatched to the school to check out a report of an odor, but neither they nor the fire department found anything.

Parents Channel 9 spoke with said they rushed to the school when the news started to make the rounds on social media. They were frustrated that the school never reached out to them.

“If there was a possible gas leak that’s something we definitely need to hear about through the school and not Facebook,” said Melissa Blizzard.

CMS said there was no danger to students or staff and the school was evacuated as a precaution.

CMS officials told Eyewitness News that getting the facts first is most important, and that they sent a message to parents about an hour after the initial reports came in.

Classes resumed before noon.

The most recent health inspection shows that Lebanon Road Elementary received a deduction for improperly storing cleaning supplies. We asked CMS if the odor may have possibly been related to that but have not heard back.