St. Maria Goretti Church School, Laflin, will be the site for the next several months for students of Wyoming Area Catholic until that school has been determined safe to return for classes after a fire struck on Tuesday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Classrooms at St. Maria Goretti Church have been prepared to receive students from Wyoming Area Catholic after a fire broke out at the school. Students will report to St. Maria Goretti for classes starting on Tuesday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Wyoming Area Catholic School, Exeter, will be out of commission for an extended amout of time until fire damage has been repaired. Students will be utilizeing empty classrooms at St. Maria Goretti Church, Laflin, until it is determined safe to return.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
EXETER — A fire at Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC) displaced 174 students on Tuesday. Diocese of Scranton, school officials and engineering experts are in the process of evaluating the building’s status.
It has been determined students will utilize classrooms at St. Maria Goretti Church, Laflin, until further notice.
While classrooms were being prepared at St. Maria Goretti on Friday, work has been continuing at WAC, where dumpsters are being filled and Damage Control Inc., a fire, smoke, and water specialist, moves forward in the building’s remediation.
It hasn’t been determined when students and faculty could return to WAC on Wyoming Avenue.
Structural engineers need to determine if the building is sound or whether steel beams need to be replaced.
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined by the PA State Police fire marshal, but Exeter Fire Department, along with other neighboring fire companies, responded to the school, where an electrical issue was discovered on the roof.
School officials stated classes would resume on Tuesday at St. Maria Goretti.
Bus students are asked to be present at their assigned bus stop 15 minutes to 20 minutes earlier than normal.
Buses are scheduled to arrive at St. Maria Goretti Church by 7:15 a.m. Parents driving their children to school should drop them off begining at 7:30 a.m.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.
Click for subscription offers.