WINCHESTER, Mass. — All public schools in one Massachusetts town are closed on Friday following a chemical spill that prompted a hazmat response and disrupted the district’s food service operations.
Superintendent Frank Hackett said the spill was discovered Thursday evening in a storage cabinet in a chemistry prep room at Winchester High School.
The Winchester Fire Department responded immediately, assessed the situation, closed the building, and notified state hazmat officials, according to Hackett.
Specialists from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Winchester Health Department were working to contain and decontaminate the affected area.
While the incident is isolated to Winchester High School, the district canceled classes for all PreK-12 schools due to the centralized food service program, which operates out of WHS and cannot function during the closure.
District officials emphasized that the health and safety of students and staff remain the top priority.
Hackett said updates will be provided as soon as the building is cleared and normal operations can resume.
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