All students and staff were directed to leave a school in Binghamton after a power failure linked to trouble with an electrical transformer.

City police and firefighters responded to Calvin Coolidge Elementary School on the East Side around 8:20 a.m. Monday.

About 316 students and their teachers left the Robinson Street building after the electricity went off.

Fire department duty chief Mark Whalen said a strong odor was detected near the transformer in the school. The breakers in the building had tripped, shutting down all power.

Whalen said a NYSEG crew shut down the transformer and tested the electrical breakers one-by-one.

Utility workers were unable to pinpoint what caused the problem. No leaks or other issues were observed in the area of the transformer.

Whalen said no smoke or flames had been seen. After the assessment was completed, officials decided the building could be reoccupied. Firefighters were at the school for just over two hours.

School district spokeswoman Christina Kunzman said preparations had been made to transport students home but that turned out to be unnecessary.

Kunzman said district officials were not aware of any other recent electrical issues at the Coolidge school.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Binghamton police and fire units were sent to Calvin Coolidge Elementary School after the building was evacuated on March 12, 2018. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

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