Fire-damaged school building in Tulsa will be demolished

From The Tulsa World: The Tulsa (Okla.) district has decided to demolish a charter school site that badly damaged last month in a fire. Barnard Elementary School was closed in 2011, but the facility was being leased by the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, a charter high school sponsored by the school district. Investigators have determined that the Sept. 5 fire was caused accidentally during construction work to install a ventilation pipe in space that was going to be used as a chemistry lab.

SEPTEMBER 2011... From The Tulsa World: A little more than 24 hours after a fire destroyed the building housing the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, teachers and students trickled into the former Sequoyah Elementary School to begin anew. The charter high school and its 300 students had been housed in the former Barnard Elementary School building. Statement from the charter school: Tulsa Public Schools has helped us by finding us a new home and outfitting the school with furniture, but we have lost nearly every book and office supply that we owned. Donations are being accepted at this website. Earlier from The Tulsa World: A fire has destroyed the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences. Firefighters had responded after a caller reported smoke early Wednesday morning at the charter high school, which formerly housed the Barnard Elementary School. Eight firefighters were sustained burn-related injuries to their hands, sides of their faces and lower legs. Nearly half of the roof covering the school's west end was consumed, and the north wing's roof was sagging and near collapse. Fire Department officials said the building was a total loss.