MUKILTEO, Wash., December 16, 2023—Mukilteo School District Superintendent Allison Brynelson sent out an email update to staff and families on Wednesday regarding the overnight fire at Endeavour Elementary which affected half of the school on December 4.
The email highlighted a repair and cleanup strategy, which is already underway, and two different plans for student’s return. The first plan, called Plan A (the most probable plan, the school district says), projects all Endeavour Elementary school students will return for in-person learning by Monday, January 8, 2024.
Plan B projects that a portion of students would return to in-person learning at the school by January 8, while the remaining students would attend school at Discovery Elementary School’s newly constructed wing until their classrooms at Endeavour are ready to reoccupy. The district would provide transportation to and from Discovery Elementary School for the two grades attending there, if this is the plan they decide on.
What plan the district settles on will depend upon repair progress made within the next few weeks. Students will continue distance learning until then with school day supervision at Discovery Elementary School for those who need it.
Additionally, students in the Connections Program who are currently attending Odyssey Elementary School will continue their attendance at Odyssey January 2 through 5.
The school district said it received confirmation from local agencies, such as the fire department and contractors, that they would be available to continue repair efforts through winter break.
“Thank you for your patience as we continue to meet with several agencies about Endeavour to gather information about the extent of the damage. That information is critical as we draft plans for school after Winter Break,” said Superintendent Brynelson. “We have been coordinating daily with contractors. Today we walked through the school and received more details on progress and remaining work to be done.”
On the morning of Monday, December 4, around 1:00 a.m., local firefighters responded to a fire alarm at Endeavour Elementary, located at 12300 Harbour Pointe Boulevard in Mukilteo. A total of 42 firefighters, eight engines, and two ladder trucks began efforts to combat the fire, which was located on the roof, and the fire was contained around 3:37 a.m.
While the fire was localized to one area of the school near the southwest entrance, near the library and office, all the main building and classrooms sustained damage from smoke and water, affecting half of the building.
The classrooms and areas closest to the fire sustained more damage than those furthest from the fire, but all main building areas were affected to some degree. The portables were not affected.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Returning the school to a suitable state for in-person learning will involve extensive cleanup and restorative construction work, the district says. Crews from 21 states began construction on December 4 with anywhere between 70 and 100 people working onsite since.
The cleanup process involves addressing smoke infiltration throughout the building by working to circulate clean air, removing standing water and drying out involved areas, removing carpeting, walls, and other materials damaged by water, removing all ceiling tiles, and assessing all classroom items to determine what can be salvaged so flooring, painting, and other work can continue.
“They have exceeded their progress benchmarks and are making swift progress removing the damaged debris, filling six industrial sized dumpsters thus far. They are also cleaning everything that is salvageable,” said Superintendent Brynelson.
After cleanup, reconstruction will include repairs to the roof and its structure, repairs to walls and painting throughout the school, replacement of removed flooring, repair or replacement of damaged cabinets and shelving, cleaning or repair/replace of ceiling grid, and repairs to other critical systems such as electrical, network cabling, ventilation system, and fire alarm system.
The Mukilteo School District has worked with many agencies and parties including its insurance company, investigatory experts, fire department officials, city officials, engineers, multiple trade workers, and the Health Department and Labor and Industries, to prioritize reopening the school as quickly as possible.
The cleanup and repair progress will be closely monitored through Winter Break and by December 31 the district intends to send staff and families an update confirming which plan they will go with for student’s return.
When students return for in-person in January, the elevator will likely not be working and some classrooms likely will not have carpet.
“While I know a few more days of distance learning is not ideal, we have support in place to support students and their families during those four days,” said Superintendent Brynelson. “Again, thank you for understanding as we work as quickly as possible to put all the necessary pieces in place to welcome students back to Endeavour. I hope you have a peaceful break with special time with loved ones.”
To coordinate school day supervision from January 2 through 5 at Discovery Elementary contact the Endeavour office staff at 425-366-2800.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
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