Westwood Elementary fire: School district already working on plans to ensure fall learning

After Westwood Elementary School in Thompson, Man., went up in flames early Wednesday, the province says the School District of Mystery Lake is undertaking a plan to ensure all 280 students have a proper learning space come the fall.

“The school division has it all looked after, we’re in communication with them, and we know we’ll have a plan in place for the kids in September,” Manitoba Education Minister Nello Altomare said. “They believe that they can accommodate all the students within their schools currently in Thompson…. They’ve done such great work in such a short period of time.”

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Altomare couldn’t say how long changes would be in place for students in the northern Manitoba community, but did note that as more information on the investigation is made available and the school division works with insurance, a more long-term and permanent solution will be pursued.

“The plans that they are going to put in place will be for a while,” Altomare said. “They’ll make adjustments as they go. School divisions are really good at pivoting, and they’ll provide the services for their students.”

As of Thursday morning, Thompson city staff told Global News fire crews were still at the scene, ensuring the fire was completely extinguished, and more details on what caused the fire will be available as the investigation gets underway.

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