Laurel Hollow elementary school heavily damaged in morning blaze, no injuries reported

A predawn blaze Tuesday heavily damaged a historic elementary school in Laurel Hollow and will force more than 200 students to attend Wednesday's classes in other schools, officials said.

The fire was contained to the area of the library and surrounding rooms was brought under control within two hours. The school was unoccupied at the time and there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters, officials said.

Superintendent Joseph Monastero said in a statement that West Side’s students will be sent to the district’s other three school buildings — Goosehill Primary School, Lloyd Harbor School and Cold Spring Harbor Jr/Sr High School — for in-person instruction Wednesday.

Monastero did not share plans for the rest of the week but thanked the community for their “patience and support” as district staff worked to develop a plan Tuesday.

“Events like this affect a school community deeply,” his statement read in part, “and we understand that many of you are processing a range of emotions. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority.”

About 220 students attend the school, according to state records. The school contains grades two through six, with 35 teachers and a principal, school officials said.

Monastero said he received a call from staff early Tuesday about smoke in the building. When he arrived, the older part of the building, which includes the school’s library, learning lab and community room, had gone up in flames.

Besides the smell of smoke, there was no damage to the rest of the building, Monastero said. The district is working with the state and the district's insurance company to begin the process of rebuilding. 

The school dates back nearly 250 years to a one-room school house that George Washington visited in 1790 while it was under construction, according to the district.

"There's a lot of history here. But we will continue," Monastero said. "We will rebuild and move on.

The affected rooms suffered "extensive damage, if not by fire, by water" and Monastero said he imagined the books and library items would be unusable.

Some bookshelves viewed from the front lawn appeared to have books intact.

Students walked past the school Tuesday morning to survey the damage.

In an interview after the building was secured, Nassau Chief Fire Marshal Michael F. Uttaro said the fire apparently started in the basement below the school library and was caused by a flaw in the building's electrical system. The fire is not considered suspicious but an investigation was continuing.

The basement and the library suffered significant damage along with some support offices. Part of the first floor and the roof collapsed, Uttaro said, adding that the building suffered water and smoke damage as well.

First responders were alerted to the blaze at 4:40 a.m. by an automatic fire alarm. Firefighters from Oyster Bay's Atlantic Steamer Fire Company and another 16 companies from surrounding communities responded, Uttaro said.

Nassau Fire Marshal investigators and Nassau arson/bomb detectives are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Kendall Koka, 40, of Laurel Hollow, walked to the school Tuesday morning with her dog and two children who attend the school. She said her children were concerned about the damage.

"They really wanted to see for themselves," she said. "The school is very special to them."

"It makes me feel really sad and upset," said Leif Koka, 10, a fourth grader who said he visits the library every Thursday and it is one of his favorite parts of school.

"I check out a lot of books every time, and I read them and I come back; it just got some new stuff in there this year," he said.

Kendall Koka said the district has been communicating with families since early Tuesday.

The school community is very tight-knit and just competed in a sports night event last week, she said. The team finished first.

"The community is so strong, she said. "I know that they'll rebound, but obviously we have to wait and see what the next steps."

Newsday's John Valenti and Dandan Zou contributed to this story.

Correction: George Washington visited the site of the original school in 1790, according to the district. An earlier version of this story misstated the history.