Southern Cayuga High School was visited by the Cayuga County Health Department Monday as officials continued to search for the odor that has caused several classrooms to be closed.

The district first reported the incident in early April, after a heavy period of rainfall. Now officials are saying the smell they first thought was coming from within one of the classrooms may actually be coming from outside the school. The health department has not ruled out mold, but they do not believe that is the source of the unpleasant odor.

"We were hoping to be able to scrape up some dirt and find a dead animal so we could say 'ah ha' that's where it is coming from," Southern Cayuga superintendent Peter Cardamone said. "But it hasn't been that easy."

A group of high school students recently built a garden on the school grounds, which raised the ground significantly, and officials are looking to see if the change of landscape has anything to do with the problem.

"We believe it may be something inside the ground," Cardamone said. "The problem is probably seasonal related."

The county has been working with state health officials and hazardous material officials from the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES to try and pinpoint what is triggering the smell.

While officials believe the odor is coming from outside the building, Cardamone said the district plans to take apart the high school's ventilation system for cleaning, just in case

"We are aggressively pursuing the situation," Cardamone said. "We will continue to work on the area until we know what the source of the problem is."

Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235

or ashley.lipsky@lee.net