Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board Told Smoke Like Corrosive Acid

A special meeting of the Prescott School Board was called Wednesday, April 3, to inform the board on the status of Prescott High School.

Board members were told about the fire at the school and about smoke being an acid, which causes corrosion.

Don Johnston, superintendent, informed the panel Lt. Mike Fletcher, with the Arkansas State Police criminal investigation division, said arson is not suspected in the fire. The cause of the blaze was most likely a heating unit in the principal's office near the vault, Johnston said.

"Thank goodness for the vault," he said, "it kept records intact."

Johnston said the records were damaged by smoke and soot, but all transcripts and records are there and will be reentered into a computer.

Mark Lewis, the architect who designed the school in 1974, was contacted early Tuesday morning. At the time, he was flying to Springdale, but changed his plans and came to Prescott to assess the extent of damage done.

Johnston said Lewis' findings should be ready sometime this week. Lewis' investigation included an examination of the overall building the foundational structure.

Lewis, Johnston said, will provide a cost estimate on the construction of the building for insurance purposes. However, this estimate will not include the cost of the building's contents.

Jim Thomas, a general adjuster with USF&G Insurance, who has the school's policy, will work with the district on the overall cost to replace everything damaged and destroyed in the fire.

Classrooms were relocated, Johnston said. Some were placed in the gym, others went elsewhere on the PHS campus. The business classes went to the computer labs at Prescott Elementary, while the band will work in the activity room during first period.

Johnston told the board there should be no mixing of high school and elementary students at PES.

For the remainder of the year, students will be allowed to carry book bags on campus. This is because they will not be able to use lockers.

Johnston said a cleaning company was hired to remove everything from the lockers and place them in boxes. These boxes were numbered according to the number on the locker.

Students sought their belongings Monday (April 8) in the gym.

"We don't like what we're having to do," Johnston said, "it's just what we must do."

He told the board plans are to move back into the west end of the main building by next year. The east end, which was heavily damaged, will not be ready by then, he said.

"This is why we need computer labs at PES," Johnston continued. "We may have to do some of this (class shifting) next year."

The superintendent said there have been many calls from the public from people asking how they could help. "We really appreciate it," he said, "and may take advantage of it (later on)."

In addition, Johnston's office has received calls from superintendents across the state concerning the fire.

Overall, though, he said there should be no problems with the students making adjustments to the new situation.

Also, graduation is still scheduled for May 24 at the football field. Johnston said it would not rain.

There could be a problem for some students who had ordered their caps, gowns and invitations, but had not picked them up from the office before the fire.

The invitations, he said, can be reordered, but no one knows about the delivery time as yet.

Board President Jim Franks said PHS may be in better shape insurance-wise as a district than most people are as individuals.

All bills from the fire, he said, will be sent to the insurance company, including any claims from the fire departments battling the blaze.

"Suggestions are coming in," Franks said, "and all ideas are welcome."

He said Eddie Daniels got the computers out Wednesday, but the future of PCFA.ORG is not known at this time. "We're not sure about APSCN (the educational-based company providing the school with its internet service)."

Franks said the internet may be functional in the middle and elementary school, but the heart of the system may have been at PHS. Additionally, he said this computer service may not be covered by the district's insurance.

"The vault worked," Johnston said. "The next one will have a fireproof ceiling. We're going to make it, though."