This past week a fire damaged a Los Gatos school complex, destroying computers, musical instruments, and many other valuable educational items. The fire took place between the Loma Prieta Elementary School and the CT English Middle School just off of Summit Road.
Recently, investigators claim that a group of high school boys went out to smoke marijuana at the school on Sunday night. But when nobody showed up with the drug, they decided to light a cardboard box on fire in efforts to keep warm in Santa Cruz Mountain area, which can get chilly at night. They threw out the remains of the box in a garbage can next to the building, still smoldering, which led to the fire.
Classes were cancelled on Monday for over 500 students attending both schools in the area, and now many efforts are being implemented to restore what was lost. A community restoration fund is one of the ways the school district is raising money for the multitude of educational materials lost in the fire.
In addition, the community center has been a great resource for residents of Los Gatos over the years. Not only is it utilized by various groups of people, including seniors, theatre programs, and children, the center has always been a strong backbone in the event of an emergency, such as this recent fire. Many of the school’s physical education classes and music, art, and dance classes are now being held at the community center.
Though insurance will help with a majority of costs related to the fire, the community center is going above and beyond to help raise money to rebuild the building. Local residents are endlessly grateful for the profound impact the community center has had on the lives of many throughout the years.