Oquirrh Elementary School students will return to the classroom Wednesday morning - four days after fire destroyed their school.
Meeting in an emergency session, the Jordan School Board adopted a plan that will send kindergarten through third-grade students to the West Jordan National Guard Armory near the Salt Lake International Airport No. 2, and grades four through six to Elk Ridge Middle School in South Jordan.Under both scenarios, children will be bused to the alternative locations and the school day will be somewhat delayed, with classes tentatively set for 9:30 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.
Superintendent Ray Whittenburg assured parents and staff the moves are temporary, intended to get the students through the next 45 to 90 days.
Meanwhile, fire investigators said Tuesday the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. At a press conference at the school, West Jordan fire chief B.J. Snooks said investigators are still attempting to locate two girls in their late teens to early 20s, who witnesses said were near the school shortly before the fire broke out. The young women were driving a primer gray-colored 1970s pickup truck with "Dodge Ram" in bright white letters painted across the tailgate.
"Those are the only two witnesses we know of that we haven't been able to talk to," Snooks said.
Snooks said the open classroom design of the building allowed the fire to spread more rapidly. Those rooms that had fire walls suffered far less damage.
Anyone with information about the fires should contact the West Jordan Fire Department at 569-5270.
In addition to local investigators, 17 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have been assigned to investigate the cause of the fire.
The short-term student housing plan approved by the school board Monday apparently met the approval of teachers, parents and students who attended the school board meeting, although parents had initially requested that the student body be kept whole if at all possible.
Seven-year-old Cameron Swasey squirmed excitedly in his seat as the plan was announced. "We get our school back. They're going to rebuild it," he said.
His mother, Deanna Swasey, said she, too, liked the concept. "I think they (parents) were more concerned they'd split up the school by each grade. This way he gets to keep his close friends with him."
While the staff would have liked more time to prepare for the changes, principal Denis Lyons assured administrators Oquirrh teachers were up to the task. "Our teachers are of the quality they can go into the classroom, hit the ground running and do an excellent job."
Whittenburg said administrators considered numerous possibilities, even busing students to available classroom space in the Park City and Tooele school districts. On Sunday, many parents believed the district would institute double sessions at a nearby school.
After examining all the options, Whittenburg recommended splitting the student body with a long-term goal of rebuilding Oquirrh Elementary School at its existing site.
Even though recent enrollment projections suggest "no growth" in the Jordan School District's population, Whittenburg said there are sound reasons to rebuild the school.
"We would not be overbuilding to replace Oquirrh," he said.
The short-term plan is not without wrinkles. For one, the National Guard Armory at 7602 S. Airport Road was not designed to accommodate children, particularly girls.
"The restroom facilities are pretty good for the young boys. We'll have to go to a port-a-potty situation for the young girls. What we will have to do is ask one of the mothers to do potty duty. I don't know if those kindergartners will want to hit those cold seats," he said.
Another problem is furniture. The armory is furnished with folding tables and chairs, most too large for elementary school-age children.
The school board, under emergency order, authorized the administration to purchase appropriate furniture and school supplies. The emergency status frees district administrators from the competitive bid-ding process, which would add considerable time to buying new school books and furniture. Both should arrive by the beginning of next week.
Whittenburg explained that Oquirrh's fourth- through sixth-grade students will be housed in "a building within a building" at Elk Ridge Middle School at 3659 W. 9800 South. The elementary school children will be segregated from the middle school students, he said.
The school district also is investigating establishing a school composed of modular buildings at the Oquirrh site while the building is reconstructed.
If inspectors deem portions of the existing building safe - the multipurpose room, kitchen and kindergarten classroom - those rooms could be incorporated into the modular concept. Administrators plan to return the youngest children to the Oquirrh campus first, then the older students.
In September, the new Riverton Elementary School should be completed. If the modular concept is not feasible, students could be temporarily housed in the old Riverton Elementary until Oquirrh is rebuilt.