By Brian Trompeter

MILFORD — Lulu M. Ross Elementary School will recover from Sunday’s fire through the grit, determination and community spirit of Milford and fellow Delawareans, state and local leaders said after touring the damaged facility Tuesday.

The next step will be moving more than 600 students to new classrooms within the district.
Superintendent Travis Moorman said relocations will start with sixth grade students moving from Milford Middle School to Milford Central Academy. He said this will allow Ross elementary students in second, third and fourth grades to move to the middle school.

Moorman said details on transportation, school hours will be provided when finalized.
“Our goal remains to be prepared for these changes to take place on Monday, November 2,” he said. “We know that this turnaround is short and places pressure on our staff who will be required to relocate their classrooms.”

In the evening news release, Moorman said the community would learn more about donation and fundraising opportunities as they firm up. “While the community support is greatly appreciated, we ask everyone to pause fundraising and donation efforts until we are able to generate a list of supplies and resources our schools will need and provide guidance on who to contact for further information regarding donations to the district,” he said.

A fire cannot destroy a community, student learning or the everyday heroism of teachers, said Gov. Matt Meyer, who thanked Moorman, Lulu Ross principal Kimberly Webb and Milford School District’s staff and leadership for “working around the clock to make sure that this instance, this terrible event, is something ultimately is a source of pride and brings people together.”

Meyer thanked first responders from several area fire companies for extinguishing the fire and expressed relief no students or firefighters were injured in the early morning conflagration.

“Your courage, selflessness and unwavering commitment to protecting our community will never be forgotten, from the bottom of our hearts,” agreed Webb, adding that while classrooms and materials can be replaced, people cannot.

“The last few days have been some of the most heartbreaking and challenging days our Ross family has ever experienced,” Webb said. “But even in the midst of something so incredibly devastating, our hearts are incredibly full — full of gratitude, full of love and full of hope.”

Mayor F. Todd Culotta also applauded the community’s response to the disaster.

“Delaware may be a small state, but we’re a state with a big heart and I know we’re going to have a lot of help from elected officials, the state agencies and a lot of folks in the community to make this right,” he said.

Event attendees donned KN95 masks reminiscent of the pandemic era before stepping inside the school’s vestibule, which was covered with broken glass. Beyond those doors lay the ruins of the school’s main lobby and administrative suite, the floors of which was covered with charred and soaked debris, including missing portions of the ceiling, which now was exposed to open sky.

“What you’re about to see is very disheartening,” Moorman warned before the tour began. “We do know that the fire started in the school’s Kent Hallway and very quickly became out of control.”

The fire, which started around 4 a.m. and took about three hours to bring under control, may have started in a light fixture, he said.

Moorman expressed “overwhelming gratitude” for the sympathies and aid offered by local businesses, community members and state agencies.

“It’s been an absolutely tremendous outpouring of concern, love and support for the students and the staff who suffered the loss here just a little over 48 hours ago,” he said. “We will recover because we are Milford. And so we are excited to take this challenge head-on and we will do it together with our partners from across the state.”

The district will reveal its return-to-school program soon, but still is working out details concerning transportation, food provision and other factors, Moorman said.

Delaware Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said the school district can count on solid support from the state.

“We don’t give them a list to do, they give us a list to do,” she said. “Any meeting we leave with this team should have a longer list of jobs for us to do on behalf of them. They know their community, they know their children, they know their families and they know what it takes to have a supportive recovery.”