4 Rochester Schools Closed By State Fire Marshal

ROCHESTER, MI — Four Rochester elementary schools were closed Monday by the state fire marshal and will remain closed through Wednesday after a citizen complaint that they are out of compliance with fire codes.

Lori Grein, director of communications for the Rochester Community School District, said about 1,200 first-grade and kindergarten students in 50 classrooms across the Hugger, Musson, Brewster and University Hills elementary schools are affected by the closure.

The problem stems from a state requirement that all kindergarten and first-grade classrooms be located on the lower level of each school, according to a notice on the district’s website.

School officials said classrooms will be shuffled to comply with the requirements. A moving company has been hired to pack and relocate larger items, and teachers will report to school both days to offer assistance.

The school district said it is in communication with the Michigan Department of Education to discuss whether students will be required to make up the days they’ve missed.

The school district said that at the time the four schools were built — Hugger in 1988, Musson in 1989, Brewster in 1980 and University Hills in 1972 — they were specifically designed for the lower elementary grades to be located on the second level, where classrooms are larger and have carpeted and tiled areas. Many of the rooms also have bathroom facilities.

New code and compliance requirements were discussed last year when the school district engaged experts to identify critical infrastructure needs. Because the plans were approved by the state, the school district said, “it was our understanding that these buildings were considered to be grandfathered until bond renovations were complete.”

“District administrators subsequently developed a plan to systematically address those critical needs, which included the relocation of the kindergarten and first-grade classes to the lower level of the buildings,” the school district continued. “Although construction has already begun on Musson and Hugger Elementary Schools, the state has directed us to relocate our youngest learners immediately.”

Last fall, district voters overwhelmingly passed a $185 million bond proposal that will fund improvements at all schools. The four elementary schools in question will receive about $11 million in upgrades, including relocating the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms to the lower levels of their respective buildings.

The school district said officials discussed options to canceling classes with representatives from the Rochester Hills Fire Department to determine if interim measures could be completed to allow classrooms to remain in their current location until the buildings are remodeled.

Proposed interim solutions included the addition of fire separation walls and fire-rated door assemblies, added fire extinguishers in existing classrooms, and the provision of a “fire watch” policy, among others.

“Unfortunately, the implementation schedule necessary to complete the various options did not align with the mandate from the state fire marshal to relocate our youngest learners immediately,” the district said.

More information is found here.

Photo of Musson Elementary School via Rochester Community Schools