Dear Arthur Rann Families and Staff:
I am writing to provide you with an important update regarding the status of the Arthur Rann Elementary School.
As of this communication, I am informing all parents/guardians and our staff that the Arthur Rann Elementary School will be CLOSED on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Please note that at this time we plan on opening the rest of the district (GTMS, Reeds, Roland and Smithville) on January 28th, and will determine shortly if the rest of the district will open on a delayed schedule or their normal operating time. Please know that due to Arthur Rann being closed on January 28th, the day will need to be made up in the future in an effort to adhere to the required 180 days for our students.
The purpose of closing the Arthur Rann Elementary School on January 28th is out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our staff and students. Please know that while the fire was primarily contained to one classroom, there was a lot of smoke and soot damage throughout the building. We have been working with fire inspectors, our insurance company and Servepro around the clock to determine anticipated return timelines. Part of that determination will rely on the results of air quality testing that is currently underway, but please know that testing samples must be taken from many areas within the building before a true timeline for our return into Arthur Rann can be established.
Our goal is to return students to an educational environment as soon as possible. This will require flexibility from our school community, as the decisions we make are dependent upon outside testing and cleaning services to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our students and staff. Our entire administrative team is working on a plan to accommodate our Arthur Rann students and staff in other buildings, until all of Arthur Rann, or portions of Arthur Rann will be opened up for use. We anticipate the overall plan being finalized and released to parents and staff January 28, 2026, with the understanding that the plan may change as the building results and cleaning process continues to occur.
Please continue to monitor your email, as this will be our primary method of sharing further updates. We certainly realize none of this is ideal, but we are thankful that our students and staff are safe, and it is our intent to make every decision in their best interest, even as we plan for their return to other schools within our district. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.
NOTE: If you're receiving this communication and your child is in preschool, but attends the Gateway Head Start preschool program, they should attend school like normal and follow the Gateway Head Start calendar/schedule.
Sincerely,
Stephen P. Santilli
Superintendent of Schools