The Central Okanagan Public School District (SD 23)sent a letter out explaining the situation.
SD 23 says a small fire started in a washroom prompting the evacuation of Rutland Middle School at lunchtime Friday (April 14, 2023). Students and staff followed all protocols to evacuate the building and muster quickly and safely in the school field.
"I can't say enough about how well our school community responded to the emergency," said Rod Baruta, Principal at Rutland Middle School. "Everyone did their jobs as practiced, making sure everyone is safe, accounted for, and in good spirits as we gathered in the school field."
Firefighters and RCMP arrived and investigated the source of the fire and cleared the smoke from the building. District Operations staff were also on site, cleaning up any smoke and water damage.
"We are really grateful for the fire department's quick and professional response, as well as our Operations staff who are already starting to clean up," said Kevin Kaardal, Superintendent of Schools/CEO. "We're really proud of our staff for pivoting quickly to keep everyone safe and create outdoor learning for the students who couldn't return to the main building this afternoon."
Classes in the main building did not resume Friday but are expected to resume as usual today (Monday), following remediation to the school.