MILWAUKEE— Staff evacuated Rufus King High School early Wednesday after smoke was reported inside the building before students arrived.
Milwaukee Public Schools and Rufus King say the smoke was caused by a mechanical issue involving an air handler in a basement tunnel– not a fire.
No students were inside at the time. Staff who were in the building safely cleared out as crews responded. Because of the issue, classes were relocated for the day to Andrew S. Douglas School, where students continued learning as scheduled.
Rufus King say repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the day Wednesday, allowing students to safely return to Rufus King High School on Thursday.
Milwaukee Public School District Statement:
Dear Rufus King High School Students, Families and Staff,
We value you as members of the Rufus King community and want to update you about the situation at our school this morning.
Since my last communication, we have learned that the smoke in the building was not caused by a fire. It was instead a mechanical issue with an air handler in the school’s basement tunnel before the school day began. We are grateful that staff in the building at the time were able to safely evacuate and appreciate the quick response of the Milwaukee Fire Department.
We expect all necessary repairs to be completed today so that students may safely return to Rufus King tomorrow.
We will continue as planned with a full day of learning today at Andrew S. Douglas.
As a reminder:
- If students are already assigned a bus, they will be transported from Andrew S. Douglas to their regular after school drop off location.
- For students who walk or get dropped off at Rufus King High School, they will be transported back from Andrew S. Douglas School at the end of the school day, so that they may walk home or be picked up there.
We thank the Andrew S. Douglas School community for welcoming us today and appreciate your patience as we address this issue. Thank you for your continued support of Rufus King High School and Milwaukee Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Doreen Badillo
Principal
