Source: Hemera Technologies / Getty
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio– Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools will be closed on Wednesday as school officials deal with a devastating blaze at the board of education.
The fire at the facility on Ridge Road in Willoughby was reported at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
At least two floors of the 102-year-old Chandler Estate were engulfed when the Willoughby Fire Department arrived. Nineteen surrounding agencies responded to the scene.
Superintendent Steve Thompson said the historic building is “not repairable.”
According to Thompson, the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools’ servers were housed in the facility’s basement. He said that means they have no access to Internet or phones, which puts the schools in a compromising position for safety.
“We’re closed tomorrow because in the event of an emergency, we could not communicate and I’m not willing to take that risk,” Thompson said.
Personnel and special education files were also located in the building.
“I think we’re going to spend the next several months trying to replicate those documents,” Thompson said.
Central office personnel are moving into the Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation on Chardon Road.
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Article Courtesy of WJW Fox 8 News Cleveland
Picture Courtesy of Hemera Technologies and Getty Images
