Student started fire at Parkway School

A Parkway Elementary School student started a small fire in the building last Wednesday, East Meadow School District administrators said, causing an evacuation.

Superintendent Leon Campo said that the student, who he did not identify, ignited a piece of paper with a lighter before throwing it into a trash can located in a second floor hallway on Nov. 25. Police and fire officials arrived on the scene at about 11:30 a.m., moments after a member of the school’s custodial staff extinguished the flames.

Parkway, at 465 Bellmore Road, is situated in the Wantagh Fire District. Harry Loud, a representative of the Wantagh Fire Department, said the school was evacuated for about half an hour while the smoke cleared and firefighters examined the area. No one was injured, he added.

Campo said the evacuation was a safety precaution, noting that students and staff practice fire drills constantly throughout the academic year. “Safety is our top priority,” he said. “While this was an unfortunate incident, our safety protocols have once again demonstrated to be exceptional… There was no panic at all — everything went smoothly.”

After school administrators, police and fire officials began conducting their investigation in the afternoon, the student admitted to starting the fire. Campo said the child faces a five-day suspension from school, adding that there will be a superintendent’s hearing about the incident.

“Obviously this is serious,” he explained. “It placed everyone at risk, and the school had to be evacuated. I want to praise the fire department, police and staff for making sure everyone was safe.”

Principal Jamie Mack notified parents about the fire in a ConnectEd message, Campo noted. The school day resumed after the evacuation, and dismissal was not affected by the incident.