Alaska Kids Served Floor Sealant Instead Of Milk At Elementary School

JUNEAU, AK — Twelve students fell ill this week after they were served floor sealant instead of milk at an elementary school childcare program in Juneau, officials said.

The Juneau School District said in an alert on its website that the students were served breakfast at the Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley RALLY site Tuesday morning.

NANA Management Services staffers served the breakfast, placing food on service trays that students brought to a cafeteria table. Shortly after eating breakfast, some students complained the milk tasted foul, and their mouths and throats were burning.

District and NANA staffers smelled and tasted the milk, and looked at the container label. The "milk" that the children drank was actually floor sealant that looked like milk, the district said.

"Staff immediately directed students to stop consuming the substance and removed it," the alert said.

The site manager notified poison control, and the district said staffers followed all their steps. Parents and guardians were informed of the incident.

One student received medical treatment at Bartlett Regional Hospital. Two other students were picked up and may have later sought medical advice.

The floor sealant was disposed of and the remaining product was removed from the premises and placed in chemical/hazardous storage, the district said.