11 students hospitalized after falling ill in cafeteria of Maine school, officials say

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Eleven students were taken to the hospital after they fell ill while in the cafeteria of a school in a coastal town in Maine on Thursday morning.

Emergency crews responding to a report of a potential gas leak at the Wentworth School in Scarborough just after 10 a.m. ordered an evacuation of the building, according to Scarborough Public Schools Superintendent Diane Nadeau and Scarborough Fire Chief Rich Kindelan.

About 120 students in grades 3 and 4 were assembled on the risers in the school’s cafeteria rehearsing for an upcoming concert when one student passed out and several others made “physical complaints of a respiratory nature,” Nadeau said at a 12:30 p.m. news conference.

While EMS treated and transported the sick students, Kindelan said firefighters swept the school and metered it twice, but no hazards were found.

“There were no real reports of a particular smell, so we metered it for several different gases to make sure there was nothing present,” Kindelan explained.

Kindelan noted the school does have working fire and carbon monoxide detectors in the building. He also said that at this time, investigators are “unsure” what caused the incident.

There were no serious injuries reported, according to Kindelan.

“All of the injuries are minor or just complaining of health symptoms,” Kindelan said. “There were no physical injuries.”

All staff and students have since been returned to the school, Nadeau said.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2025 Cox Media Group