A fire last month at Miller Middle School’s construction site will force students to begin the school year at a temporary location, Durango School District 9-R announced Monday.
The June 16 fire damaged critical electrical equipment that was staged to be installed in the new building. It also delayed completion of the new building, which was expected to be completed by Aug. 20 for the first day of school, the district said in a news release Monday.
As a result, sixth grade students will be moved to the Impact Career Innovation Center at Durango High School, and seventh and eighth grade classes will be held on the first floor of the west wing at DHS.
Some elective courses will take place at various locations, such as the Durango Community Recreation Center and the Boys & Girls Club of La Plata County.
The district estimates occupancy of the new building will be delayed by five to 10 weeks.
“The Miller site was on track to be completed on time,” said Chris Coleman, chief operations officer for Durango School District. “The fire caused the delay and was an unexpected event that is disappointing for everyone. Our construction and district teams have worked very hard in the past month to try to prevent a delay.”
The blaze started in a construction area where electrical and kitchen equipment were staged.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Durango Fire Protection District and district officials have discussed the possibility of arson, but there have been no conclusive findings.
Officials have ruled out lightning or electrical issues as a potential cause.
The district experienced vandalism in the past when a concrete slab was graffitied at the middle school.
“Our hope was that results from various inspections would be favorable and we would have work done in time to move into the new building,” Coleman said. “The unfortunate results came back in July. Now we must quickly pivot and set up temporary locations for the start of school.”
Construction teams broke ground on the new Miller building in January 2023 and the project is part of $45 million overhaul at Miller using 4A bond money.
“We apologize for this unexpected delay in moving into the new school. Our staff is determined that learning will continue despite these obstacles,” said Superintendent Karen Cheser. “This is an opportunity for our entire school community to be resilient and demonstrate patience, flexibility and understanding. We will navigate these challenges together.”
tbrown@durangoherald.com
