School officials say students and staff will not be able to return to Meadowlark Christian School until Wednesday, November 21, at the earliest.
Fire crews were called to the west Edmonton school Wednesday morning, just after 3 a.m. They arrived at Meadowlark Christian School at 99 Avenue and 158 Street to discover a fire had started in a Grade 8 science classroom.
Crews managed to contain the fire to the one room, however it was heavily damaged.
The classroom will not be usable for some time. Fire crews say Edmonton Public School Board will have to decide how to proceed.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Jane Sterling with Edmonton Public Schools confirmed the school will be closed Wednesday because of the early morning fire.
“They have to do an assessment on air quality because it’s an older school, they look at asbestos in the building and things like that,” explains Shayne Page, Captain Investigator with Edmonton Fire Rescue.
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Page says investigators are still working to verify a few more details to determine the exact cause, but it appears to be accidental in nature. The school was closed at the time, and no one was inside.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Page adds.
Officials say the fire was confined to the science room and gymnasium storage area, but caused smoke and water damage. The school district is working to ventilate and clean the school, as well as start work on the areas affected by the fire.
School officials say it will not be possible for students or staff to enter the building at this time therefore, students will be temporarily relocated.
Students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 will be relocated to Youngstown School, located at 10330- 163 Street. School board officials say for students who ride the yellow bus, the bus will follow the same route, with pick up times remaining the same.
For students in Grades 7 to 9, they will be temporarily moved to Westlawn School, located at 9520 – 165 Street. School officials say students should either take Edmonton transit to this location or have their parents drop them off.
Both of these schools have room to accommodate these students.
Damage to the school is estimated at $100,000. The fire remains under investigation, but it is not deemed to be arson.
Edmonton Public School Board says Meadowlark Christian School owns the facility in which it operates. The school was added as an alternative program by Edmonton Public Schools in 2004 and offers Christian programming for Kindergarten through Grade 9. The school has an enrolment of 270 students and 20 staff members.
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