Parts of Trenton Elementary School destroyed by fire
TRENTON, Texas - Some students who attended Trenton Elementary School in Fannin County and their families are wondering where they will go for classes after a fire destroyed part of the school early Monday morning.
"I cried," said Trenton Elementary student Oscar Cisneros.
Oscar's father, Miguel, says his children have been emotional while thinking about the damage.
"As soon as I told him he was face down, tears out. He was bawling this morning," he said.
Trenton's fire chief tells FOX 4 he does not know what caused the fire. He believes it started near the school's office, but he says the heat of the fire compromised the main building's structural steel, so firefighters have been unable to get inside for an up-close look.
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He says the State Fire Marshal's Office will lead the investigation and will be on scene Tuesday morning.
"Heartbreaking for this community," said Jeremy Strickland, Trenton ISD's Superintendent.
Strickland said the areas destroyed are for Pre-K through second-grade students. It affects classrooms of nearly 200 students.
"In this building right now it's going to be roughly 190," said Strickland.
There's another building for other students.
"Our third and fourth-grade is in a separate building, and that building that they're in was not damaged or harmed," he said. "We are putting a plan together, and we are going to do whatever it takes to take care of our kids."
"It was kind of hard to believe" said Miguel Cisneros.
Cisneros went to the school decades before his children. Now his kids are feeling low about what happened overnight.
"Because I love my school," said Oscar Cisneros.
The middle and high schools were not affected by the fire, according to the school's superintendent.
There were no injuries.
Trenton ISD will remain closed on Tuesday to give the district one more day to finalize plans for bringing students back to campus.
All after school activities will be held as scheduled for the high school campus.
The district says it plans to announce its detailed return plan by noon on Tuesday.