After Devastating Fire, Lee Elementary Students, Staff Will Move To Nearby School

TAMPA, FL - Lee Elementary Magnet School students and staff will be moved to Lockhart Elementary Magnet School, which is less than a mile away from Lee. A devastating fire destroyed Lee Elementary Tuesday night and Hillsborough County Public Schools developed a plan to keep students and staff together.

Beginning on Monday, they will share the Lockart campus, which also is a magnet school at 3719 North 17th St., Tampa. (For more information on other Tampa-area stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Lockhart Elementary has space for nearly 300 more students and is also located next to Young Middle Magnet School. For the first two to three weeks, the older students from Lee Elementary will temporarily be taught in classrooms on Young’s campus, while the district installs portable classrooms at Lockhart within a few weeks. About 329 students and 49 staff members were displaced.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation has created a fund to help Lee Elementary. To help, click here.

Fire crews were called to Lee Elementary Magnet School of World Studies and Technology at 6:45 p.m., the fire department said. Responders saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the northwest portion of the roof. Second and third alarms brought more equipment and personnel to fight the flames inside the three-story brick building. Once the roof began to show signs of collapse, the department says firefighters were pulled from inside the building.

Smoke from the fire was visible across East Tampa, witnesses said on social media. The Tampa fire marshal said Wednesday that the blaze is under investigation, there are no indications so far of any foul play and the fire does not appear suspicious.

Lee Elementary and the district have received an outpouring of support from other schools and the community. The school district will soon release information on ways people can donate school supplies or help with other donations.

The district is also coordinating with other schools, asking school staffs from across the district, to help set up the new classroom space at Lockhart Elementary this Friday.

In addition, Superintendent Jeff Eakins has authorized an emergency supplement for every staff member at Lee Elementary School. All full-time employees at Lee Elementary will receive a $1,000 emergency supplement in their bank accounts, this Friday. Eakins is aware that staff members lost personal items and items they cherished in their classrooms and offices during the tragic fire. The supplement will allow teachers and staff to replenish the items.

For any students, staff (both current and former) and community members who may need to speak to counselors, school district grief counselors will be available beginning Thursday morning at Lockhart Elementary Magnet School.

Hillsborough Schools will decide what happens to the building, which was not used as shelter during Hurricane Irma. No students were in the building that day since classes were canceled at the school, and all Hillsborough County Public Schools Tuesday, because of cleanup following the storm.

RAW: Fire Destroy's Tampa Elementary School

Video by Lindsey Wight

Photos by Hillsborough Schools via Facebook