REO Elementary School damaged in Easter weekend fire

THURSDAY, April 20 — REO Elementary School pupils on the city’s south side have been attending classes virtually since April 9 after the soot contaminated the building when playground equipment was set on fire on Easter Friday.

The April 7 fire at the Lansing school, 1221 Reo Road, was so intense that it caused a window in the building to break open. That in turn allowed the smoke to contaminate the building.  The fire happened after school hours, but  officials were unable to give an exact time.

In-school classes are scheduled to resume Monday.

“We had to close the school temporarily for some cleaning” required by the Lansing fire marshal, district communications consultant John McGraw said. “We took this step to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff. Our district has a two-device policy for every student, which means that all students have access to a device for learning purposes.”

City officials were unable to immediately confirm when and if the Fire Department was dispatched or the status of the investigation. Mayoral spokesperson Scott Bean said he had to ask Mayor Andy Schor if he was aware of the incident. 

McGraw said he was uncertain about the extent of the damage to the building. However, two sources have told City Pulse that the affected areas were stripped of any porous materials, including books, papers, files and more. Those sources have indicated that school officials have reached out to local nonprofits seeking donations of books, back-to-school type supplies and other items, such as tissue. 

McGraw said the district’s insurance will cover those losses. 

“How, given that insurance doesn't always move as quickly as we would like regarding claims and due to the timing of being so close to the end of the school year, and then if materials are ordered with supply chain issues and transportation, how soon would those materials be made available to the teaching staff?” asked a district volunteer who asked not to be named. 

REO Elementary School is slated to merge with Attwood School starting next school year. 

Even though the district said it doesn't need items, the Capital Area Literacy Council, also known as the Reading People, said it will accept donations for the school anyway. 

Barb Schmidt, executive director of the organization, told City Pulse, “We are happy to accept donations for the school at our location 1028 E. Saginaw St. 48906. If the school doesn’t need them we are able to pass them on to others in need or experiencing similar problems.” 

“We as a public school district love when the community gets involved with the school for any needs,” Mcgraw said. “We love donations.”

The district’s insurance company covered the cost of having ServicePro – a fire and flood damage company – remediate the school. The district’s insurance is also covering the cost to replace everything removed and destroyed. 

“We have taken all necessary steps to ensure that the school is safe and ready for our students and staff,” he wrote in an email.