Fire-damaged Wheaton school may open on time
Teachers, always intent on a prompt start to school, may just get their wish at the fire-damaged Briar Glen Elementary in Wheaton.
Restoration work is progressing at a furious clip, and officials say they're optimistic the building will be ready for the scheduled Aug. 27 first day of class.
"Belfor USA, the company that's doing the restoration, is doing an absolutely, totally, fabulously unprecedented job," Superintendent John Perdue said Wednesday.
The school was in the midst of having asbestos tile removed, the parking lot resurfaced and the roof replaced when an accidental fire started on the roof July 18.
Though the rooftop fire covered half the building, only 12 classrooms and the media center were seriously damaged. The rest of the building, at 1800 Briarcliffe Blvd., received water and smoke damage. A damage estimate is not yet available, officials said.
Glen Ellyn Elementary District 89 school board members will hold a special meeting at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the district office, 22W600 Butterfield Rd., Glen Ellyn. Parents are invited to attend. The board expects to get progress reports from the Wheaton Fire Department, Legat Architects and Belfor USA.
Board members also will approve emergency spending to cover the cost of work at Briar Glen.
Perdue said, though, that in the end most of the expenses ultimately will be covered by Olsson Roofing Co. in Aurora, which was performing the work when the blaze began.
Work has been intense since the day after the fire, and one of the more interesting facets of the renovation involves environmental tests. A team is using infrared technology to "look" inside walls and other areas not visible to the eye to determine moisture content and damage, Perdue explained. Their analysis?
"It is virtually dried out," he said.
Teams did that by pumping hot, dehumidified air into the building for a week. The previously-scheduled removal of asbestos tile ended Tuesday, and damaged ceiling tiles and duct work was removed to make way for replacements.
Though crews aren't working round-the-clock, "they're certainly putting in a long day and there's lots of people there," Perdue said.
The targeted completion date for the work - at this point - is Aug. 22, which leaves five days to clear a building inspection.
"We're feeling pretty good about making the school opening," Perdue said.
In the event that the most heavily damaged rooms aren't ready, he said those students can attend class elsewhere in the school until the spaces are completed.
The district is posting daily updates about progress on the school at ccsd89.org.