High School To Remain Closed Through End of School Year After Fire

Red Hook High School students will not return to their school building this year.

The Red Hook Central School District announced over the weekend that the high school campus will remain closed through the end of the academic year following a fire that broke out at the school on May 29.

District officials said new air quality testing results revealed smoke and soot contamination in several areas of the building, making it impossible to safely reopen before the last day of classes on June 16.

"This is the outcome we have been working long hours each day for the past week to avoid," the district wrote in a statement. "However, the latest results of air quality testing returned to the district Friday evening made evident it would be unavoidable."

What Happened?

The closure stems from a fire that broke out inside Red Hook High School on the morning of May 29.

Emergency crews from multiple agencies responded to the scene after smoke was reported inside the building. Students and staff were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.

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Officials later determined the fire originated in the school's library. While firefighters were reportedly able to quickly extinguished the blaze, smoke spread throughout portions of the building, raising concerns about air quality and contamination.

Air Quality Tests Prompt Extended Closure

According to the district, detailed analysis of air samples collected June 2 found that five of the 13 areas tested contained above-average levels of soot and char particles.

As a result, the district's remediation contractor, Advanced Disaster Recovery, will expand cleanup efforts before additional testing can be conducted.

School officials said the timeline needed to complete that work made reopening before summer break impossible.

What Students Need to Know

The district outlined several changes for the remainder of the school year:

• Virtual learning will continue through June 16.
• Regents exams scheduled this week will be held at alternate locations, with transportation provided.
• Additional Regents exams and final exams beginning June 17 will also be held at alternate sites.
• Prom on June 13 will proceed as scheduled.
• The Senior Walk Through and Senior BBQ on June 16 will still take place.
• District leaders are planning an end-of-year gathering for students in all grades.

Officials said they are also working to support students emotionally, particularly seniors whose final weeks of high school have been disrupted and incoming freshmen whose orientation plans have been affected.

Freshman orientation has been postponed, although eighth-grade students will still receive their schedules this week and a new orientation event is expected to be held in late August.

Looking Ahead

District officials thanked families, students and staff for their patience throughout the recovery process and said they remain focused on completing remediation safely.

The district is also evaluating which personal belongings and school materials can be safely returned to students and staff as cleanup efforts continue.

"This is not the news we hoped we would be conveying," the district said. "However, each decision since the May 29 fire has been made carefully and in consideration of the wellbeing of students and staff."