Oak Ridge school may be closed until December
GREENSBORO — Students might not return to Oak Ridge Elementary until at least after Christmas.
School system officials confirmed this week they have extended a lease with Oak Ridge Military Academy from three to five months. Angelo Kidd, the regional superintendent responsible for Oak Ridge, said it is unclear if students will return to the school before January.
“What we’re doing is erring on the side of caution,” Kidd said.
That fact pleases some parents who are relieved the extra time might mean a safer school, but other families are angry about the inconvenience.
The school system is waiting on a final environmental safety report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a federal health agency that inspected the school this summer.
The school system closed Oak Ridge Elementary to the public in June for environmental testing and remediation. Teachers and parents have complained since 2005 that environmental conditions at the school are causing serious illnesses.
Oak Ridge elementary students will be divided by grade and attend classes at four locations: the military academy, Colfax and Pearce elementary schools and mobile classrooms on the Northwest Middle School campus.
“I’m upset because I suggested we find room at Northwest and save ourselves some money,” said Shelly Headen, a parent of three Oak Ridge students and a PTA member.
Headen’s three daughters will attend classes at separate sites.
Kidd said there are about five empty mobile classrooms at Northwest High, but officials thought it would be best to keep the elementary students away from high school students.
The school system estimates the total cost of operating four alternate sites to be $250,000, not including lease changes at the military academy. That is on top of the more than $700,000 already spent attempting to find and address whatever might be causing illness at the school.
Transportation is one of several issues not sitting well with many parents.
Because of a complicated bus system, students will be bused to — or dropped off at — Northwest High and then bused to their respective locations. Some students will have to be up before 6 a.m. to catch the bus.
“We’re going to drive past the military school to take our daughter to another school so she can ride back to the military school,” Headen said.
The military academy is only two miles from Headen’s home but parents will not be allowed to drop off or pick up their children from the school while buses are there.
“It’s going to be a traffic issue and the fire marshal said you can’t do that because it’s going to be too much of an issue,” Kidd said.
All furniture and materials from Oak Ridge Elementary needed at the alternative sites have been cleaned and removed.
That work, however, held up doing any work to address problems noted by NIOSH and Turner Building Science and Design, the two groups that performed inspections this summer.
Parents will get updates about progress at the school and more information about the alternative sites during open houses next week.
Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: Oak Ridge Elementary School.
WANT TO GO?
Oak Ridge Elementary Open House schedule:
Sunday afternoon, August 23:
Grades K-1 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Colfax Elementary School
Grades 2-3 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Oak Ridge Military Academy
Grades 4-5 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Northwest Middle School
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