Puyallup schools will be starting on time, September 6th, despite the bus barn fire yesterday.
Your child’s bus route May be changed. You can check for that information on the District’s snazzy new website, beginning next week. Don’t check or call today; you’ll just get frustrated, and I promise they’e working as hard as they can on this, and they may not have to change it, depending on what kind of buses they get on loan.
Here’s some more scoop straight from district communications guy, Brian Fox. The good news is that no one was injured, and school will still be starting as planned. Pass it on!
At 2:21 on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 24, Central Pierce Fire was dispatched to the corner of 12 Street NW and West Stewart – the site of Puyallup School District’s Bus Maintenance Facility. While the cause of the fire is not yet certain, the damage is. Twenty-four brand new school buses were damaged beyond repair. These new buses were recently purchased to make the fleet more efficient.
Deputy Fire Marshall Brian Annis-Levings, with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue was on the scene the following morning. He reports officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
New school buses can run between $90,000 and $130,000 each, so the loss of 24 will have financial impact. However, the Puyallup School District is a member of the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (WSRMP). Because of membership in self-insured pooling, the buses destroyed will be replaced. Representatives from WSRMP are in the district working with leadership today.
With students starting school again on September 6, district leaders have been especially pleased with the generous response from local and state school districts. Over 16 school districts have been in contact with the Puyallup School District to offer buses on loan. As a result, school will start as planned on Tuesday, September 6.
Depending on the sizes of buses loaned to Puyallup, existing routes may be altered. Beginning next week, parents should check the district website at www.puyallup.k12.wa.us for updated information about bus routes. Regardless of possible adjustments to routes, school will start for Puyallup students on Tuesday, September 6.