Murray City School District is pleased to announce that Murray High School students and educators will return to campus for in-person learning on Monday, March 16, 2026. This return marks a significant milestone following the fire that occurred on February 20 near the school’s woodshop.

The fire, which originated in the woodshop's dust collection system, was swiftly contained by the school's fire suppression sprinklers and the rapid response of the Murray Fire Department. While the fire itself was limited, the resulting smoke and water necessitated an extensive professional restoration process to ensure the building met all safety and air quality standards.

A Comprehensive Commitment to Safety

To prepare for this safe reopening, the District partnered with Paul Davis Restoration. Their team executed a rigorous, multi-phase cleanup protocol that included:

• Extensive Filtration and Deodorization: The use of over 100 industrial-grade air scrubbers and hydroxyl generators across all floors to neutralize smoke odors and purify the air.
• Detailed Surface Remediation: HEPA-filtered vacuuming and specialized hand-cleaning of all structural surfaces—including walls, grid tracks, and areas above ceiling tiles—to remove soot and combustion byproducts.
• Strategic Material Removal: The removal and replacement of affected ceiling tiles, insulation, and drywall to eliminate potential odor reservoirs.
• Total Flooring and Content Protection: Comprehensive containment of all unaffected areas and furniture during the cleaning process to prevent secondary contamination.

Official Safety Verification

Paul Davis has worked in close coordination with the Salt Lake County Health Department and Utah State Risk Management throughout this process. We are pleased to report that following rigorous testing of combustion byproducts and air quality by a third-party Industrial Hygienist, the building has received an official "all-clear" for safe occupancy.

A Message of Thanks

"We are incredibly proud of our Spartan community," said Superintendent Jennifer Covington. "We extend our deepest thanks to Murray emergency responders for their swift action on February 20, and to our parents, students, and educators for their patience and flexibility during the transition to remote learning.” 

“The diligence of the Paul Davis teams and the guidance of the Health Department and Utah State Risk Management have been instrumental in ensuring that our return is not just timely, but fundamentally safe for all students and personnel."

“We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the classroom this Monday as we finish the third term strong.”