Officials with the St. Landry Parish School Board have announced that Eunice Elementary will be closed tomorrow Wednesday, August 15 due to this morning’s fire.
The school board says that safety assessment procedures will be ongoing tomorrow at the school. All 12-month employees will be required to report to work and the principal will contact staff members to let them know when or if they should report to work on Wednesday.
The closure only affects Eunice Elementary. All other schools will report as normal tomorrow.
Officials say the cause of this morning’s fire at Eunice Elementary School is still under investigation. The fire caused the school to be closed on Tuesday to all students and teachers. The school board noted that all 12-month employees should report to work as usual.
One custodian was in the school at the time of the fire and noticed flames coming from the classroom. That individual was able to exit the building safely.
One classroom and a majority of the supplies inside are a complete loss, according to Principal Mary Dupre.
Flooding caused by the sprinkler system has also damaged the building where the fire took place.
“There’s a lot of water damage in there. It’s a mess,” says Eunice Police Captain Jimmie Edwards.
Administration is now looking for places to hold the displaced classes.
“If we can’t get back in there, I don’t want the students to miss out on all that instructional time so we’re considering other options,” says Dupre, who has spoken with Eunice Junior High across the street about sharing empty classrooms.
