Sickened students out of hospitals

School district has not determined what made them sick.

All of the Fulton County students who fell ill on Valentine’s Day have been released from local hospitals, but four days later the school district still has not determined what sickened more than two dozen students.

Fulton County Schools reported last week that 28 students from Sandtown Middle School were taken to local hospitals Thursday. By Friday afternoon, three students remained hospitalized.

Students c omplai n ed Thursday about feeling nauseated and disoriented after eating snacks and candy brought to school on Valentine’s Day. The district, citing privacy concerns, has not released detailed information about the students’ health conditions. The school district reported Monday afternoon that it still had not determined the cause for the illnesses, which is being investigated by its police department.

The Fulton County Board of Health reported last week that food samples would be tested by the GBI, but the state agency reported Monday it had not received materials from the school district for testing. Fulton school district spokeswoman Susan Romanick said that the district is “taking the necessary steps to do a thorough investigation.”

“As such, there are extensive procedures in the chain of custody that ensure evidence collections are handled in a way that protects the integrity of the investigation. We appreciate our partners at theGBI and will continue to work with them throughout the investigation,” she said in a written statement.

District offices and schools were closed Monday because of the Presidents Day holiday.