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SUNNY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 28, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 5, 2002 Options confront Eagle Point in fire’s wake School officials, public consider best course of action to follow in use of insurance funding By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT — A fire that swept through the middle school last week has ignited community debate over the best use of the insurance settlement. Middle school blaze pinned on lone electrical source in area EAGLE POINT — A faulty light fixture in a janitor’s closet is blamed for igniting last week’s devastating fire at Eagle Point Middle School. The only source of electricity in the area where the blaze started around 4 a.m. on Aug. 29, the light was named the most probable cause for the fire. "We’re saying most probable because there’s enough damage to the mechanism that we can’t be absolutely sure," said Mark Moran, deputy fire marshal for Jackson County Fire District No. 3. The fixture was missing a light bulb, and the porcelain fitting had been damaged, Moran said. Janitors may have accidentally knocked out the light bulb with broom or mop handles over the years, damaging the fixture, Moran said. The fire ignited at ceiling level and crawled through attic spaces, Moran said. Ceiling panels facing the attic were scorched while the interior of the closet was not, he said. Investigators found bits of the porcelain fixture after maintenance staff pointed them toward all the light switches in the gym area, he added. Such light fixtures are not commonly in use nowadays, Moran said. The one in the janitor’s closet was probably installed decades ago, he added. The middle school was originally built from the remains of Camp White’s 1940s era Quonset huts. The blaze destroyed the gym, administration buildings and heavily damaged the library building. The district is weighing whether it should rebuild a new campus on the site, or opt for a cash settlement that would pay for such things as more teachers. After cutting $2.4 million from its budgets over the past two years, the district finds itself in the enviable position of debating how to spend this pot of money. "We’re the only school in Southern Oregon that has that problem," said school board chairwoman Yvonne Fletes. "Everybody has an idea. Everybody’s throwing their ideas out there about spending the money." The Aug. 29 fire destroyed classrooms, offices and a gym at the 1940s-era campus one year before the district was scheduled to demolish the buildings and open two new middle schools in Eagle Point and White City. While the district awaits settlement figures from the insurance company, it will receive a $100,000 check this week to cover some initial costs to help teachers and administrators prepare for double shifts at the high school. District finance director Greg Lecuyer said $30,000 already has been spent to replace lost athletic equipment. The district also will have to buy new computers, teacher supplies and textbooks and route phone lines to the high school. Even though many items might appear to be salvageable in some of the classrooms untouched by fire, Lecuyer said, "Smoke is just an insidious thing. It gets into everything and destroys everything." Lecuyer said the district doesn’t know how much it will receive from the insurance company, though he expects a settlement will be reached in the next two months. The district could get exact replacement costs if the district were to rebuild another school at the middle school site, said Lecuyer. The other option would be a cash settlement, which probably would be for a smaller amount. Since the district already has $34 million in bond money (approved in November 2000) to build two new middle schools — one in another Eagle Point location and the other in White City — Lecuyer said that could prompt a cash settlement. Eagle Point schools could use the money to pay for more teachers or upgrading of campuses. The district also could possibly pay back a portion of the bond money. "We have no shortages of needs," Lecuyer said. "Everybody’s got ideas about what should happen." Fletes said the district needs to prepare for more students, so she wants to study all the district’s options, particularly looking at replacing the campus. Both the new middle schools, designed for 450 students each, will be close to capacity when they are built, said Fletes. Each school is costing the district $8 million. "How much would it cost to build a school like that five years from now," she wonders. Until firm figures come from the insurance company, Fletes said it would be premature to fully delve into the district’s options. While the community works out a plan to spend the money, administrators and teachers continue to work on opening the high school-middle school by Sept. 16. "We had to rebuild all the schedules for all the students," said Lynn Eccleston, co-principal of Eagle Point Middle School. The 42 teachers and 760 students will have to share classrooms with high school students. "People are really pulling together and helping out," said Eccleston. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S