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Imagine that your district’s high school had to face the unthinkable: a fire or other catastrophic disaster that, in the middle of an academic semester, gutted the classrooms and left the rest of the building’s structure compromised. How long would it take your district to rebuild? What would happen to the students and teachers in the meantime?
WCSIT/ISDA member Southeastern Community Unit School District #337 in Augusta, Illinois faced just such a tragedy when its high school was devastated by fire on March 3, 2006. The 184 students and staff who were present were safely evacuated as the fire began at 11:30 a.m. on that Friday. Firefighters from five area departments rushed to the scene. Students, teachers and local volunteers from the communities of Augusta, Bowen and Plymouth made great personal efforts, volunteering to move equipment and school materials shortly after the fire. A local church, Bowen Methodist, served as the temporary classroom while the modular classrooms were brought to Augusta and as demolition and rebuilding operations got underway.
With the help of community members, a local church, ISDA property/casualty coverage, and the State of Illinois; Southeastern 337 was able to accomplish an incredible recovery with classes resuming only five days later on March 8, 2006. As spring turned to summer, seniors looked forward to graduation but wondered if a traditional ceremony in the school’s gymnasium would be possible. Fortunately organizers were able to utilize what remained of the old gym, with the ruins of the burned school as a backdrop for the ceremony, symbolizing the eventual return of the school to its full potential.
By summer of 2006, full modular classrooms were completed. These were to be the main locations for interim high school classes while a new facility was planned. Ground was broken for a 36,000 square foot high school facility on March 2, 2007, less than one year from the date of the fire.
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Left to Right: Donald Daily (Interim Superintendent), Dave Neill (Board Member), |
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The district’s ISDA property/casualty coverage played a major role in the reconstruction effort. At the dedication ceremony for the new building on August 20, 2008, Kevin Doyle of Hinz Claim Management, Inc. presented a check for $5,845,155.00 from the ISDA program to the district. This represented a major portion of the funding needed for the construction. The new high school was ready for classes in time for the 2008-2009 academic year.
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Southeastern's new building shown here August 2008 |
Providing a solid foundation
when and where you need it.
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Photos by:
Jodi K. Pospeschil - Peoria Journal Star