SPOKANE, Wash – The Mead School Board declared an emergency Wednesday, allowing the district to more quickly respond to the wildfires that swept through the area last week.
Thousands of Mead families were in the path of the Old Trails Fire and Fairview Fire that burned hundreds of homes.
Several Mead Schools were in level three evacuation zones throughout the fire response. The district
“While none of our school buildings sustained any structural damage, several facilities were within close proximity,” said Superintendent Travis Hanson. He said the district is undergoing air quality and other testing and that remediation was recommended.
“The service of those professionals does not come at an insignificant cost,” he said.
This is all happening as school is scheduled to start on August 26th. The district felt the emergency allows them to make sure buildings are safe and ready for students to start school on time.
The declaration allows the district to waive the competitive bid process to award contracts for companies who can help with the clean-up and response.
It also allows district staff to request waivers, enter into contracts and take any other measures needed to respond to the wildfire recovery effort.
“We are dealing with an extraordinary circumstance that requires extraordinary response,” Hanson said. He said the full cost to the district is not yet known, but much of the work is already underway.
There was an opportunity for public comment during Wednesday’s school board meeting, but none was given.
The board unanimously approved the resolution declaring the emergency.
The Spokane School Board is considering similar action at its meeting Wednesday afternoon.
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