NW Side school cleared out

CHICAGO — Students complaining of itching during an art class at a school on Chicago's northwest side prompted a call to the fire department.

Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Bond said Wednesday that public health authorities are checking out the art materials at Cameron Elementary School to see if a cause for the itching can be found. She says no toxic materials are used in the class.

Bond says 31 students were taken to hospitals Wednesday morning but it's unclear whether all of them had irritated skin.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado says the department declared a hazardous materials situation as a precaution, but there was no danger to the neighborhood.