Fire-damaged Wheaton school almost ready for students

Restoration work should allow for the timely reopening of a Wheaton school that was damaged last month during a fire.

Glen Ellyn School District 89 officials say crews have been working day and night in order to get Briar Glen Elementary ready for the first day of school on Aug. 27. An inspection of the building at 1800 Briarcliffe Blvd. is planned for Friday.

"Teachers are back in their rooms getting their rooms prepared," Briar Glen Principal Emily Tammaru said. "It's nice to see it getting back to where we should be at this time of the year, and it's nice to know the community has been so supportive."

The school was having asbestos tile removed, the parking lot resurfaced and the roof replaced when an accidental fire started on the roof on July 18.

Though the rooftop fire covered half the building, only 12 classrooms and the media center were seriously damaged. The rest of the structure received water and smoke damage.

Superintendent John Perdue said he hopes to have an open house Sunday so parents and families can walk through the school and know it's OK to occupy.

Perdue said he thinks the school will be ready, adding that the restoration work has been a truly heroic effort on everybody's part.

"We're very pleased with how this is looking, especially from July 18," he said. "We've come very far very quickly."

Tammaru said the entire school community is looking forward to the new school year in the modified building.

"We have a wonderful, positive attitude from the staff," she said. "They're ready for the kids to come back, and that's what we're all looking forward to."

Worst case scenario, if the most heavily damaged rooms aren't ready, students assigned to those rooms can attend class elsewhere in the school.

District 89 is posting daily updates about progress on the school at ccsd89.org.