April 21, 2023

Dear Catskill CSD Families and Staff,

This morning we had a propane leak that staff discovered in the Catskill High School kitchen shortly before the start of school. The leak has been determined to have come from a stove. This happened at a time when it was mostly staff in the building and the majority of students had not yet entered the building.

Upon learning there was a potential gas leak, we immediately evacuated both the High School and Middle School buildings, and students who were arriving by bus were held on their buses. The fire and police departments quickly responded to the scene, and once they determined it would be several hours before the building could be reoccupied, we canceled classes for our high school and middle school students and bussed them home. Catskill Elementary School remained open, however, the need to bus our high school and middle school students home caused a delay for the morning bus routes that pick up our elementary students.

The stove has been disconnected and taken offline, and the building is now safe to be occupied. Catskill High School and Catskill Middle School will be open for classes on Monday, April 24, 2023. The kitchen will be able to provide meals for students.

After-school activities at the High School and Middle School are canceled for today, April 21, with the exception of tonight’s JV and varsity baseball away games. Baseball coaches will be contacting players directly with more information.

I want to thank our families, students, and staff for your patience and understanding during this unexpected situation. I would also like to thank our first responders for their assistance with addressing this emergency and returning our building to a safe condition in a timely manner.

Sincerely,

Melissa A. Barrow
Superintendent of Schools