Over 1,000 students at Meridian Middle School got to go home early as work crews tried to find a gas leak near campus Tuesday morning.

School officials first moved all the kids (grades 6-to-8) to the auditorium and then sent them home after staffers started smelling gas outside the building around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Intermountain Gas crews were at the school at noon trying to find the source of the leak, school officials said.

All gas was turned off to the buildings as a precaution, which meant the school buildings did not have any heat. An automated phone message went out to parents and guardians of the kids. Most of the parents were able to pick up their kids, and the remaining 100 or so got home by school bus, district spokesman Eric Exline said.

It is unclear if the school will be open Wednesday. Exline said parents should assume the classes will be held as scheduled Wednesday but said officials would try to let parents know as soon as possible if there is any change.

All after school activities at the middle school have been cancelled Tuesday.