Elementary school goes up in flames, Missouri photos show. ‘So much more than a school’

An elementary school in central Missouri caught fire Friday, Dec. 1, leaving residents in the small community in shock.

The fire at La Plata Elementary School, first reported by KTVO, sparked in the early morning hours before school was in session. No one was in the building, the station reported.

Photos shared on social media show heavy smoke and flames throughout the school, which is about 165 miles northeast of Kansas City.

The La Plata R-II School District canceled all classes Friday.

Representatives for the town’s high school said in a statement the elementary school fire was contained “to the front of the building around the offices.”

“We are not sure of any specific causes at this time,” the statement read. “We do not believe either wing of classrooms was greatly affected. The Fire Marshal’s investigation is ongoing, and we will not be able to get into the building at this point in time.”

The office area, firefighters told CentralMOInfo.com, is believed to be “a total loss.”

One local resident called it “a devastating morning for our La Plata community.”

“We only have one elementary building and one 7-12 building (a block away), and the cafeteria for all is part of this building,” Andy Jackson said in a Facebook post. “This will have a big impact on our small community.”

La Plata has a population of about 1,270 people. The K-6 school has 155 students enrolled.

One Facebook user called the school “the heartbeat of a small town.”

“This is so much more than a school to some children,” Deborah Jean Gregory said in a Facebook post. “Some come as much for love and socializing as education, and some come hungry for food.”

It’s unclear when or if students will be allowed to return to the building. School officials said classes will resume Tuesday at a different location.

“It’s amazing how this community ‘pulls together’ in times such as this,” Lois Pinson Bragg said on Facebook. “Within a couple hours the administration & staff were working on a plan & have been offered facilities to resume classes off site.”