UPDATE:  Superintendent of Washington Schools, Mike Jorgensen, says a natural gas leak coming from one of the kitchen’s appliances discovered during the investigation has been repaired.

A gas smell coming from the Washington Middle School kitchen led students to be evacuated this afternoon. Washington Fire Department and Police Department responded to the scene at approximately 3pm, and after a half hour the school had been ventilated to a point where it was safe to allow students back in to grab their things and leave for the day. According to Investigator with the Washington Police Department, Shawn Ellingson, Alliant Energy is now conducting tests to find the source of the smell.