Dozens of students at the Girard Middle School were sickened by carbon monoxide this morning.

North Mac School District Superintendent Marcia Cullen says shortly after school started Monday morning students started feeling ill and emergency operations were followed and children were evacuated from the building.

According to Superintendent Cullen, school officals indicated 30 students were directly sent to Springfield hospitals and the official county will be updated later. It was known that parents were taking children to hospitals to be checked out. Also, reports from hospitals indicate over 50 students had sought medical attention.

The carbon monoxide poisoning was the result of a water heater flue failure according to the Superintendent. Some portions of the building indicated safe levels of CO and othe areas had readings in the dangerous level.

All students that did not seek medica attention were taken to area churches or released to parents. The middle school building houses almost one-half of the districts student population. Students attending K-2 and 9-12th grades remained in school.

Cullen says there will be no school district wide on Tuesday. The middle school will be checked by authorities and the utility company to make sure it is safe to re-enter possibly on Wednesday.