Fire Guts Historic St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield
The community at St. Francis of Assisi School in Springfield is mourning the loss of the 100-year-old school to a fire Monday night as it looks for an alternate location for the students, writes Katherine Scott and the 6abc digital staff.
By Tuesday, students and families were already working on fundraising to rebuild the school, writes Pete Bannan for the Daily Times.
Students raised thousands of dollars by the end of the day Tuesday after setting up a sale in front of the church
They baked items and brought out undamaged magnets and bracelets from the school to sell.
“I have faith in our community that we’ll be able to rebuild this,” said eighth-grader Penny Smith.
St. Francis of Assisi School was founded in 1929, serving students from Pre-K to 8th grade.
The fire affected about 150 students.
Springfield Township Police, ATF, Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal, and the Delaware County DA’s Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the fire.
Flames and heavy smoke were reported pouring out of the school Monday evening.
911 calls started coming in after 5 PM. About 20 fire companies responded.
“My kids went here, my husband, myself, my dad, my grandmother. We’re all here just watching it. It’s heartbreaking,” said teacher aide Megan Ringwalt.
The parish and a second school building were unaffected. Authorities said no one was inside at the time of the fire.
“I was just so surprised. It was really devastating because I’ve been here since like preschool and made lots of good friends here, said 7th grader Sam Trevea.
The tight-knit community is rallying.
“I think if everyone stays positive and faith in God. Everything’s going to work out OK,” said Kevin Ferry of Springfield.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Find out more about the fire and the St. Francis of Assisi school community at 6abc.and the Daily Times.
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