On a Friday afternoon, the Barnum School caused concern for several students. According to Scott Appleby, the city’s emergency management director, medics had to be called to the campus. The dispatcher received a call from the school nurse, who reported that several students may have ingested medication around 12:06 p.m. on Friday. While the specific type of medication was not known, it was deemed as common.
City officials acknowledged that the issue was related to the students’ health, possibly concerning medication. When medics arrived, there were no immediate signs or symptoms from the students, despite responding to a call of ingestion. The city investigated the school to rule out false reports of a fentanyl overdose. However, the school did confirm a “medical situation” to have occurred. In efforts to dispel misinformation, school officials made it known that they were working to get to the bottom of the details.
As a precaution, students were taken to Bridgeport Hospital after the incident. The school made it clear that the students involved in the alleged overdose were indeed safe and back with their families. At 495 Waterview Ave., the Barnum School sees students from preschool to eighth grade.