2 Franklin schools reopening after tests for contaminants

FRANKLIN, Ind. (AP) - Two central Indiana elementary schools will reopen for classes Monday after air sampling showed no volatile organic compounds that had been detected earlier under concrete floors.

The Franklin Community Schools announced the decision for Needham and Webb elementary schools after the testing of a total of 44 indoor air samples from the two schools located about 25 miles south of Indianapolis.

The district closed the schools March 21 out of "an overabundance of caution" after vapor samples from below concrete floors showed some levels of volatile organic compounds above standards recommended by state regulators. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency contributed to the testing performed by an Indianapolis-based company, EnviroForensics.

The schools held e-learning days while closed. The district was on spring break this week.