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April 22, 2008 Students Scramble to Find Graphing Calculators After a Fire Closes School Jeffco Public School District officials and parents of Bear Creek High School juniors are scrambling to find graphing calculators after a fire suddenly closed the school a day before state mandated ACT tests are to be administered to all high school juniors. ACT tests assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. Students and staff were evacuated from the school located at 3490 S. Kipling St. Lakewood, at approximately noon today after a fire was reported in the building. Students quickly left the school, many leaving behind their graphing calculators, which can be used to complete the math section of the ACT test. This type of calculator typically used for the ACT test, the Texas Instruments Scientific T183, costs an approximately $100. Fire officials have not cleared the school to reopen and classes have been cancelled for Wednesday, but the ACT test for juniors was moved to Green Mountain High School. “We have received many phone calls from students who are panicking because they can’t get their calculators from the school and they need them for the ACT test," said Bear Creek Principal Phyllis Emrich. School officials have spent the afternoon on the phone trying to get stores to donate calculators, but most of the large stores’ corporate headquarters are located in the eastern U.S. and have closed for the day. The school district is asking for donations of the graphing calculators. Donations can be dropped off at the Jeffco Schools Education Center, 1829 Denver West Drive, Golden 80401 until 6:30 p.m. tonight, or at Green Mountain High School, 13175 Green Mountain Drive, Lakewood, between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday. |