Puyallup school damaged by fire won’t reopen by the start of the school year
Ferrucci Junior High will not reopen for the start of the 2026-27 school year after a fire damaged the structure in April.
Additional restoration work is required before the school can reopen, the district wrote in an update on their website Thursday.
An electrical room fire on the main floor of the building’s new classroom wing damaged the school on April 4. The wing contained lead-acid batteries, and the fire caused extensive damage across multiple areas of the school, according to a report from the Puyallup School District’s Operations department that was provided to the school board at their May 8 study session.
A Central Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesperson previously said that “a failure in the emergency power battery backup system,” caused the fire, The News Tribune reported.
“The past several weeks, district staff have worked closely with restoration experts, contractors, school leaders, and neighboring school districts to evaluate a variety of options for housing Ferrucci students during the upcoming school year. We have also carefully reviewed the feedback provided through the recent community survey,” the district said in the update Thursday.
What’s the plan for Ferrucci students next year?
Students will begin the school year in September in the same temporary learning locations that were established in the spring. Seventh and eighth grade students will continue their education at the former Naches Trail Elementary site in the Bethel School District. Ninth grade students will be at Glacier View Junior High School and Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup. Students who are part of the Support Center Program will continue at Stahl Junior High, the district said.
“We will provide families with another update on restoration efforts and any potential changes to these arrangements prior to the start of the 2026-27 school year,” according to the district.
The district said they will evaluate the status of restoration efforts before winter break and determine whether Ferrucci will be ready for students during the second semester. Families will learn of this decision by Dec. 18.
“If restoration work is completed and the building is approved for occupancy, Winter Break provides the most practical opportunity for a transition. Moving an entire school community back into the building requires significant planning, preparation, and logistics, making a two-week break the ideal window to accomplish that work while minimizing disruption to student learning,” according to the district.
Students will stay in their temporary learning locations through the end of the school year if the building is not ready.
In the update, the district addressed the concerns families expressed about the temporary learning locations including transportation impacts, access to activities and programs and the possibility of students being separated from one another. The district wrote that an entire school building was unavailable to have hundreds of students together.
“Many of the alternatives considered would have required splitting grade levels among multiple schools and locations throughout the district, creating additional transitions and disruptions for students and staff. Ultimately, district leaders determined that maintaining the current arrangement provides the greatest consistency for students while preserving school connections and instructional continuity,” the district said.
Staff will move forward with detailed planning for the beginning of the school year, which includes transportation, student supports, staffing and operational logistics across all temporary learning locations. They have also looked through feedback that families gave as part of a recent survey.
“As planning continues, we will be evaluating the concerns and challenges identified by families and staff and exploring opportunities to mitigate those impacts wherever possible,” the district said.
Regular updates on the junior high’s restoration will be provided on the district’s website.
