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Past Issues December 2004 Richard Wright Elementary dies by fire
| Richard Wright Elementary dies by fire |
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By Marybeth Foley On June 23, 2004, Richard Wright School was officially closed. That day, Arne Duncan announced at the monthly Board of Education meeting that it was one of ten schools that would be closed or would not admit new freshmen students. Richard Wright was closed because of an electrical fire that occurred the Monday of Spring Break. School was closed that week and no students or teachers were present. One of the custodians was working on an electrical box in the custodian's office when the electrical fire took place. He was severely burned. He died the following Thursday. Other custodians had to run from the building to escape the cloud of black smoke that accompanied the electrical fire. Electricity in the building was knocked out. That Friday teachers were allowed to enter the building to remove their things. Starting the Monday after Spring Break, the students were bused to Ryerson School. They shared classroom and lunchroom space with the Ryerson students until school closed in June. But on June 4, before school closed for the year, the Richard Wright teachers were told that Richard Wright would be closing permanently. The teachers would be given the opportunity to apply for teaching positions at Ryerson School or at Laura Ward School. Ironically, Richard Wright and Laura Ward schools had originally opened in 1971 to relieve overcrowding at Ryerson School. At that time, Ryerson School was reputedly the most overcrowded school in the city of Chicago, with two dozen or so mobile classrooms on its west and south lots. The fire that occurred on Monday, April 12, 2004, was actually the third and the most tragic fire that took place at Richard Wright. The first fire took place overnight in the school office. Arson explained that fire. The school was not closed for even one day then. Students helped to wash surfaces in their classrooms that needed washing. The school office was temporarily housed in the school library on the second floor. The second fire was in the kitchen of the lunchroom. No one was hurt by that fire either. If memory serves correctly, both fires took place on Ash Wednesdays of different years. Besides the fire, Richard Wright School also had a low enrollment. Some of the schools closing this year because of low enrollment will reopen. Other schools that closed last year because of low test scores reopened this year. But, apparently Richard Wright School will not reopen. So, a requiem for a school is also a requiem for a name. Richard Wright was a world-renowned African-American writer. Richard Wright was also an important name in Chicago history. What will happen to the school name Richard Wright if Richard Wright School is not reopened? |
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