Hornby Island school will begin classes next week despite fire, says district

Hornby Island Community School plans on opening next week, despite being damaged by fire on Sunday, according to the school district. 

It just won't be at the same location. 

The kindergarten-to-Grade 7 school suffered significant structural damage to the gymnasium, foyer and office spaces. It also has smoke damage throughout the rest of the building, according to Paul Berry, the director of instruction and the person responsible for health and safety with the Comox Valley School District.

"It was heart-wrenching … it's a beautiful facility and a beautiful setting. It's very hard to see it in that state," Berry told All Point West host Jason D'Souza.

The district is working with staff, parents and community to look at existing buildings in close proximity to the school site that could be used in the near future.

A facility adjacent to the school is being considered as a temporary replacement, as well as the community centre directly across the street from the school.

"We've engaged both groups to see how we can utilize or share those facilities for the next little while," said Berry.

Much of the learning on Hornby Island schools is done through distributed learning, so the new facility will need to be technology-friendly. It will also need to have separate rooms for the different grades and meet health and safety requirements.

Dealing with the loss

The school district is working with insurance investigators and structural engineers over the next few days to get a sense of the extent of the school's damage.

"It is hard to say if the school will be usable again," said Berry. "[The fire] has left a big hole in terms of space, programming and facilities for the community."

The district will host a community meeting for parents Wednesday evening to discuss what is being done. 

PAC chair Andrea Kaback has two daughters who attend Hornby Island Community School. She told On the Island guest host David Lennam that a lot about the future of the school is uncertain.

"I think we just need to have an opportunity to come together," Kaback said.

Tuesday, Sept. 4 is the intended first day of school and will be a half-day for students. School counsellors are planning lessons around how to have students deal with the loss they are feeling, said Berry.

"One of the key components is to welcome the students back but also acknowledge that they have gone through a tragedy."

Listen to the full All Points West interview with Paul Berry:

With files from On the Island and All Points West