The Ohio Department of Health is still unsure what is contaminating the grounds near the River Valley junior high and high school.

Health officials said there is no proof the toxic contamination near the schools had anything to do with a higher than normal cancer rate. The schools were built on an old army depot where chemical waste was dumped for years.

Kent and Roxanne Krumanaker blame the River Valley school grounds for their daughter’s leukemia. The diagnosis came in 1993. The family soon learned of other River Valley graduates battling the same illness.

“Leukemia is a very rare cancer, and something wasn’t right,” said Roxanne Krumanaker.

In two years, students will re-locate to all new River Valley schools. The government donated tens of millions of dollars for the project.

Roxanne Krumanaker said the donation is a contradiction, “We’re going to re-locate but yet the schools are safe for the kids to be here today? I don’t think so. You can’t have it both ways.”

River Valley students go back to school at the end of August.

© The Ohio News Network, 2001