Following fire, GCC offers space to Four Rivers Charter Public School

GREENFIELD — While repairs are underway in the high school building at Four Rivers Charter Public School following a small fire last week, students are getting a taste of the Greenfield Community College experience.

The arrangement — in which GCC classrooms have been set aside for nearly 140 Four Rivers students — is anticipated to last as long as six weeks while repairs are completed at the high school, according to Acting Head of School Zevey Steinitz, who previously explained in an email to families that a small fire in a high school bathroom set off the fire alarm and sprinkler system, causing “significant” water damage throughout the building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Greenfield Fire Department, detectives from the Greenfield Police Department and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, according to Jake Wark, spokesperson for State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey.

“The investigators have not reached a final determination as to the cause,” Wark said when asked if the fire is considered to be accidental or intentional.

The incident on the morning of March 1 led to the dismissal of students, followed by a day off while staff and administrators figured out next steps and reached out to community resources — including GCC Interim President Richard Hopper — looking for options for where to temporarily place high school students while repairs were completed.

“They’re our neighbor, and they were in need,” said Hopper. “If you put yourself in anyone’s shoes who would be in such a situation, you would hope that others would respond in a way that would help you. The spirit at GCC is that we help wherever we can.”

As many as nine classrooms have been set aside for the high school’s use, and students are welcome to use the college’s other amenities, including dining areas and study areas, according to GCC.

“It took a little bit of shuffling and adjustment,” Hopper said. “It required the facility staff to help move some furniture around; it required support staff to organize which rooms had the best availability given the times, and it required custodial staff to clean and get things ready.”

It also required coordination with Campus Safety and Security, he added, and producing the proper certification that would be required of any high school to be operational in Massachusetts.

“It was a fair amount of work that was done very quickly,” he said.

Students’ first day on campus was March 4. School for the middle school students, meanwhile, continued as usual at Four Rivers.

“We are enormously grateful that our neighbor, GCC, did not hesitate to offer help to our high school,” Steinitz said in a statement. “President Rick Hopper immediately returned my call, lent a sympathetic ear and pledged support. All the employees have bent over backwards to attend to our needs by locating spaces, moving furniture, meeting with our tech coordinator, providing cleaning supplies and even coordinating use of the cafeteria. Everyone we have worked with has been kind, compassionate and professional. We are extremely relieved to have a space that is so conducive to learning. We couldn’t have found a better solution.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne