DC Schools Open With Very Few Glitches

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Except for a few minor glitches, DC School students returned to class for the new school year.

A water main break at Garfield Elementary in Southeast forced officials to relocate returning students to other schools today.

Concerns over the air quality at Burroughs Elementary School in NE prompted PTA President Clarence Cherry to keep his 6-year-old son at home today. He spent the day outside the building handing out face masks.

"Whenever you have a massive renovation like this one, EPA guidelines say you need 72 hours to ventilate any space," Cherry said. "Crews were here until 10:30 last night, and this morning."

But DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee says the school has been given a clean bill of health.

"We've had several air quality tests at the school, and it passed them all," Rhee says.

The president of the group Ward 5 Council of Education says the controversy could have been avoided if Rhee's office had shared those results with parents.

"This is ridiculous. If they had released the air quality tests, the first day of school could have been flawless," Raenelle Zapata says.

Zapata says she's asked that those reports be given to parents and posted on the doors. An inspector at the school today says that will happen.