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School Semester Ends In Porter Ranch On Anxious Note

PORTER RANCH (CBSLA.com) —  The last day of school in 2015 ended on an anxious note in Porter Ranch.

Friday marked the last day of school before the holiday break. It also marked the last day many students will be attending the school they've grown used to for months or years.

CBS2's Randy Paige spoke to parents and students about their concerns.

"It's stressful," said parent Myrna Tadros, "But we gotta do what we have to do."

Fumes from a nearby gas leak in Aliso Canyon -- going on for nearly two months -- have forced the LAUSD to close two schools and relocate the students and faculty to two other facilities.

SoCalGas said fixing the leak could take upwards of four months. The methane gas fumes were making many children sick.

Students and teachers at Porter Ranch Community School will be relocated to Northridge Middle School eight miles away. Meanwhile, the children at Castlebay Lane Charter Elementary will be relocated to Sunny Brae Avenue Elementary in Winnetka, about six miles from Porter Ranch.

The district says buses will pick up the students at their Porter Ranch schools in the morning and drop them off at the same location at the end of the school day -- and Paige reports SoCalGas has agreed to pick up the tab for the buses.

"We will support the district in any way that we can on the extra costs," said Mike Mizrahi of SoCalGas.

Brookelyn Baker is a third-grader at Castlebay. A new school is not fazing her. "It's kind of exciting," she said.

But she said the fumes have made her feel uncomfortable.

"Kind of dizzy and I had some bloody noses," she said. She also told Paige she was glad to be going to a new school.

Some other children he spoke to had mixed emotions.

"I'm just sad. I like this school," said one. "I like it a lot."

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