Elizabeth Forward officials give tour of revamped high school after auditorium fire
ELIZABETH, Pa. (KDKA) — Before students return to the classroom later this month, KDKA-TV was given a tour of Elizabeth Forward High School on Monday.
Students have been learning remotely since a fire on Feb. 12 destroyed the school's auditorium. But students will return to in-person learning on April 11.
"We are very excited," superintendent Keith Konyk said Monday. "A lot of work has been done. Our teachers were in today prepping rooms."
Konyk showed KDKA-TV the progress crews have made since the fire.
"There was smoke damage to the entire building," he said. "So all the walls were covered with smoke. So those things have been wiped down."
Konyk said he has a lot to be proud of. Perhaps his biggest point of pride is restoring the high school classrooms and getting kids back in the classroom.
"It's come a long way," Konyk said. "As a person who was in here the day of the fire, to see these rooms at this point after two months is just extraordinary."
Crews eventually demolished the auditorium after the fire.
"Our auditorium is gone," said Scott Henry, Elizabeth Forward School Board secretary. "We are going to be dealing with that part of the building. That's what we are calling Phase 2, which is still being cleaned up."
School officials said the media room and gymnasium will open in a couple of weeks and crews will replace the ceiling tiles in the summer.
Henry said he is thinking about the future of Elizabeth Forward, perhaps looking at building a new school.
"The auditorium is one piece of the puzzle," he said. "So we want to make sure that this opportunity isn't missed. We are going to work with our state officials. We are going to ask them for their support, and we are going to demand that they listen to us."
Parents can tour the building on Tuesday and Wednesday. Click here for more.
