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Cass Tech High School Kept Closed After Evacuation Over Unidentified Odor

Detroit schools say testing will continue even though DTE crews checked the building, found no gas leak and declined further investigation.

Overview

  • Students and staff were evacuated Tuesday after a gas-like smell was reported inside Cass Technical High School and the building remained closed for at least a second day while officials investigated.
  • DTE crews inspected the school for about two hours and reported they found no leak in utility lines, and the utility said it does not plan to continue investigating.
  • The Detroit Public Schools Community District says the source of the odor has not been identified, that its investigation is ongoing, and that a formal decision on reopening was pending.
  • The closure disrupted roughly 2,400 students and their families, prompting automated district notices, missed classes and added logistical strain for Midtown Detroit households.
  • The episode highlights how responsibility for on-site testing and reopening decisions can clash between utilities and school districts and points to a need for clearer coordination when unexplained odors trigger evacuations.