A Houston congresswoman said all teachers, students and staff should be moved out of a northeast Houston school until it is determined why so many people are getting sick, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Monday.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said she is worried that someone will become deathly ill at Francis Scott Key Middle School, located at 4000 N. Kelley St.

Six teachers with similar symptoms were rushed to hospitals on Wednesday, bringing the total to 21 with reported respiratory problems.

"The first day I came back, as soon as I walked in, my eyes glazed up, had shortness of breath," teacher Demetrius Scott said. "We've still got a job to do."

Houston Independent School District spokesman Terry Abbott said the teachers had scratchy throats, watery eyes and shortness of breath. He said the 50-year-old building has been tested and there is no apparent reason for the problems.

At least two students have reported becoming ill at the school.

Independent air quality experts have repeatedly tested Key Middle School and found it to be safe, HISD representative Terry Abbott said in a statement. The city of Houston health department and the Houston Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team also have inspected the building and found no indications of unusual mold or other unusual air quality issues, Abbott said.

Abbott said the HISD's next step will be to conduct an extensive study of the building systems from top to bottom, causing the temporary move of faculty and students.

No determination has been made yet as to where they will move or when exactly that relocation will take place, Abbott said.

Jackson Lee has asked the Houston Independent School District to temporarily relocate the school to Kashmere High School, located at 6900 Wileyvale. She said federal agencies should conduct a thorough investigation to find the cause of the reported illnesses.

Jackson Lee wore a protective breathing mask as she toured the school with federal experts, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It could be air checks, air vents. There might be a water problem here, so we'll give it a once over and see how we can help," said Ted Misselbeck with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

"They may tell me it's a green-light or not. But I want to have this school impeccably cleaned. And the way to do that is to get human beings out of here," Jackson Lee said.

HISD officials responded by saying they would not move students because four independent studies and testing said there is no problem with the building.

HISD has contracted with an independent industrial hygienist to test for specific airborne toxins. The city, through the Houston Fire Department's hazmat unit, is helping look for any possible chemical toxins.

About 500 students attend Kashmere High School. The building has a capacity of more than 1,000.