Though Elizabeth Forward is one of many districts returning to school, students’ first day on Thursday was abnormal because renovations are in progress following a fire last winter at the high school.

The Feb. 12 blaze destroyed the auditorium, band and choir rooms at Elizabeth Forward High School, forcing the musical production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” to relocate to Thomas Jefferson’s auditorium.

The fire prohibited students from returning to school until April 11 as restoration crews worked to assess the damage, and it garnered tens of thousands of dollars of support for the district from neighboring districts and families.

About 95% of the high school is “operational,” according to Superintendent Keith Konyk. The other 5% includes the auditorium and surrounding areas.

Konyk said the date for the completion of the renovations could be as late as the summer of 2027 if the design and implementation consultant work proceeds in a what the superintendent calls a typical, “pretty slow way.” He added that he’s “looking to expedite parts that are critical to students,” such as the auditorium and music department.

“It’s difficult to put a timeline,” Konyk said. “They’re kind of glacial in terms of how quickly they move.”

In the meantime, school board President Thomas Sharkey said other spaces have been designated to accommodate the music department students and teachers who were displaced.

“There’s very little disruption to the education of the kids,” Sharkey said.

Sharkey explained that since the district has now hired architects, the renovation plans have to be completed. After that is when the total reconstruction will commence.

“We’re doing it as quickly as we can,” Sharkey said.

Air quality questions

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, employees and families in the district expressed concerns regarding the air quality of the building and general safety as students were allowed to return to the high school in April.

Up until this summer, Konyk said the high school was powered by “diesel generators,” but it’s once again connected to West Penn Power. Sharkey said all systems are up and expected to be reliable for this academic year.

If a concern about the environment was brought to his or the board’s attention, Konyk said “there was a reaction by the district” of some sort.

“The data supports the fact that there were no decreased oxygen levels in the buildings,” Konyk said. “All (tests were) within normal ranges.”

Konyk confirmed that the testing in the building was conducted under typical conditions, or what would be considered a normal school day.

“We have data from multiple days and hours, so it’s almost as though you would see any condition,” Konyk said. Those conditions included a full building vs. empty building, as well as hot and cold temperatures, he said.

The air quality in the building was also tested by two separate companies, and both found the building to have safe and acceptable levels, according to Konyk.

“Having both companies really confirm with hard data… that’s really the key,” Konyk said.

All of the testing data and communication from the district aside from the second air quality test can be found on the “High School Fire Updates” landing page on the Elizabeth Forward website. Konyk said he just received more results, which will be uploaded soon.

“It truly is just simple — we go by the factual information,” Sharkey said. “The test results speak for themselves about the safety of the building.”

Progress made

Konyk said he’s been happy with the changes made to the building over the summer, including installing ceiling tiles throughout the entire high school.

“(It) makes the place a better learning environment for our kids,” Konyk said.

Looking ahead, Sharkey said the school board is consering upgrades to the middle school so there’s a comparable auditorium that could be used in the interim.

“That’s the temporary solution for now,” Sharkey said.

He said right now is a very exciting time for the district because there’s an opportunity to turn a bad thing into a positive.

“We can look forward to improving the district and the experience for our kids,” Sharkey said.

Seeing the high school the way it is right now “just kind of breaks my heart,” Konyk said, but witnessing the outpouring of support and resources for Elizabeth Forward following the fire was a “beautiful thing.”

“One of the positives that came from this is you just see… what a wonderful supportive community we live in — Pittsburgh folks help out other Pittsburgh folks,” Konyk said. “(I) received a call from every superintendent from Allegheny County … within a week (of the fire).”

The monetary donations don’t tell the whole story, Konyk said, because the support was more than that.

Neighboring districts offered to donate band uniforms, instruments and other items for the music department as well.

However, Elizabeth Forward has not received any additional funding from the state, according to Sharkey, which was “a little disappointing.”

Konyk said he and the district have not been given a definitive cause of the fire, but electrical was ruled out.

Heading into the new school year, Konyk acknowledged that Elizabeth Forward was dealt a tough hand, but there’s been incredible progress made in returning the kids to the high school building.

“We’re just super excited about what the future holds.”

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