LAUSD votes to relocate Porter Ranch students affected by gas leak

PORTER RANCH, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted to relocate Porter Ranch students affected by a gas leak on Thursday.

The board voted unanimously to temporarily relocate nearly 1,900 students and staff from Castlebay Elementary School and Porter Ranch Community School, the two schools closest to a weeks-long gas leak at SoCal Gas Company's Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility.

LAUSD officials said 770 students who attend Castlebay Elementary School will be relocated to Sunny Brae Avenue Elementary in Winnetka.

The board said 1,100 students from Porter Ranch Community School will relocate to Northridge Middle School.

The changes will take place when classes resume after the winter break and will remain in effect for the rest of the school year.

School officials said portable classrooms and available space at the host schools will be used to house the students, teachers and staff.

In a statement, SoCal gas said in part, "We are sorry some of the children and staff are experiencing short-term symptoms from the odor and we have been working with LAUSD and the schools to alleviate concerns."

"LAUSD is best qualified to determine what is best for the schools, their staff and the children's education; SoCalGas will support the efforts to relocate the schools with the aim of keeping the disruption to a minimum," the statement continued.

Since the leak began on Oct. 23, parents said their kids have been getting sick to the point of hospitalization.

Some parents said they have wasted no time in leaving the area themselves as their children's illnesses have appeared to worsen with time.

SoCal Gas announced Wednesday they opened a new community resource center at Porter Ranch Town Hall.

The center will offer information and resources, such as how to file a claim and how to get free home filtration, to families affected by the gas leak.

The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.