Parents Want To Know Why Marvin Camras Elementary School Still Shut Down After Mercury Spill

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Seven days on the floor and in an auditorium with no books -- that's how dozens of Northwest Side students have spent their time for more than a week, waiting for their school to reopen after a mercury spill.

A lot of parents at Marvin Camras School want to know when the school will reopen, but some say information has been limited.

In the meantime, students are shuttled to and spending time at other schools, with limited resources for learning.

Diana Zeitner displayed the classwork her three children have been doing for days now, mostly coloring pages, activities filling time during her seven, eight and 11-year-olds' days while sitting on the floor at Mary Lyons school. That's been their temporary place of learning since last Wednesday when officials say a mercury spilled forced their school to shut down.

Camras has been closed for seven full school days and Zeitner said information about why a cleanup from a barometer mercury spill is taking so long is scarce.

CPS officials say a letter was sent to Camras' parents Thursday, stating environmental crews have taken every step possible to ensure the building is safe, adding it should reopen Monday pending final clearance testing.

Zeitner said two of her sons receive special education services, and she wants to make sure those services aren't lost for anyone.

"For the parents with IEPs, just make sure your kids have their minutes that they need, so they don't lose them," she said.

A CPS representative said Monday's opening is not set in stone because mercury cleanup can take some time but did not address concerns about what the lesson plans would be and the special education minutes would be moving forward if Camras remains closed for longer.