Pennsbury High School West evacuated after science experiment fills classroom with smoke

pennsbury high school West was evacuated Wednesday morning, April 29, after a science experiment went wrong and smoke filled a classroom. The fire alarm went off shortly after school began, and the local fire department responded at about 8:25 AM.

Principal Reggie Meadows sent a note to parents and guardians explaining that firefighters and fire officials cleared the air and gave the ok to go back inside once the building was deemed safe. No injuries were reported.

Reggie Meadows message

Meadows said the school had to move all students and staff out of the building after the smoke spread through the classroom. The source material does not identify what kind of experiment the students were conducting, only that it did not go as planned.

The evacuation ended once fire officials decided the building was safe to re-enter. That left the school day interrupted, but without reported injuries or a prolonged closure in the facts provided.

Upcoming Pennsbury construction

The evacuation landed the same week Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Smith told the community that construction on the new Pennsbury High School is set to begin within the next two weeks. Smith said, “We understand that these changes may cause inconvenience, particularly with parking and traffic flow. This temporary disruption is helping to make way for a safer, more modern, and enhanced high school experience for our entire community.”

The new school will bring together students from the current Pennsbury High School and Pennsbury High School West, with district officials hoping to open it in September of 2029. Soon after that opening, the two current high schools are set to be demolished.