Since the school opened in 2009, B building has periodically had a sewer-like smell. The issue has yet to be completely solved, with the district coming in to replace the pipes over Spring Break.

“We’ve been trying to get the school district to come out and find out exactly what the problem was for at least the last six years,” Assistant Principal Cameron Roehm said, “They would come out and fix little things, but we would still have the odor every so often. They kind of came unannounced, but we are glad that they did.”

During the week of February 13, the sewer-like odor overpowered the building, with teachers and students having to relocate for the day.

“In my fourth period Chemistry class, we had to get moved out of the entire building into another room and frankly I was quite distracted,” sophomore Victor Pedzik said, “It really distracts me from my learning experience because I need it to be in a good environment for me to think properly and if there is an improper stench, I cannot do my work.”

As the odor has been a recurring problem for many years, students have come up with their own notions about the origin of the smell.

“I was thinking that it might be the culinary students,” Pedzik said, “Maybe it had something to do with their cooking and the fumes or maybe all the chemicals in the chemistry labs here.”

Contrary to many rumors, it turns out a faulty pipe is the reason for the smell. 

“When we open the hoods in the kitchen, it gets real stinky and we couldn’t figure out why,” Principal Donna Levy said, “Finally, someone put a camera there and they noticed a crack deep in the pipes.”

13 years after the schools opening and 8 years since the district has actually identified the problem, CCSD has put aside time and resources to fix the problem over spring break.

“The sewer pipe requires extensive repair, but we can’t do anything while students are here,” Levy said. “It will be much worse before it gets better which is why we’re doing it over spring break.”

Teachers and students have adapted to being in the building at the times when the building produces the sewer-like smell.

“We try not to let it bother us,” Freshman Studies teacher Kimberly Caipa said, “It’s definitely not pleasant to stand outside in the hall during passing periods and we keep our doors closed to keep the smell out. I offer masks to the kids if the smell is bothering them.”

Still, many students have expressed distaste towards the odor.

“Everytime I breathe in, I feel like I have to plug my nose,” junior Claire Despain said, “Whenever I walk into downstairs B building, I have to comment on it. There’s no way I can’t comment on it because it’s just so bad.”

Students are looking forward to an undistracted learning environment after spring break.

“I feel like it will help a lot more with other people coming into the building, because they cause a whole scene during their first few encounters with it,” Despain said, “So I’m looking forward to when the pipes get fixed.”