Carihi To Reopen Next Week Following Fire

Students will be back in class at Carihi on Monday, December 2, 2024.

School District 72 said in a release yesterday they had hoped to reopen the school this week, but it will remain closed to all students and staff through Friday.

Students will return to in-person learning on Monday.

Some, however, will be heading to Oyster River.

The school there will serve as a temporary satellite location for Carihi Secondary classes.

After exploring all possible options – including portables, community facilities, and the former Discovery Passage school – school administration and district leadership determined that Oyster River allows them to resume in-person learning the quickest, without significantly disrupting other school communities.

Students will be transported between Carihi and Oyster River by school bus. Families living near Oyster River will also have the option to drop their children off at Oyster River if they have morning classes there.

SD72 says Carihi students and families will receive details by the end of the day on Thursday about which classes will be moved temporarily to Oyster River and where students will attend classes starting Monday.

The district says it is still waiting for air quality testing to be completed by an independent third party, which is required by WorkSafeBC before school staff can re-enter the building.

Thirteen teaching spaces were affected by the fire, including five classrooms in B-wing and two classrooms in A-wing. It will likely be 1-2 months before the B-wing can be fully operational and even longer before A-wing will be restored.

To learn more, visit School District 72.