Posted at: 08/17/2009 6:30 PM
Updated at: 08/17/2009 6:46 PM
By: Eyewitness News 4

Fire violations delay school's first day

Monday was moving day at PAPA, as staff moved the school's equipment from the condemned building to portables

A condemned school means three extra weeks of summer vacation for about 350 Albuquerque kids.

That is the situation for students at the Public Academy for the Performing Arts (PAPA), a charter school in northeast Albuquerque.

Fire marshals closed down the school's current home at Indian School and Washington, saying the building was too dangerous. They found seven pages worth of code violations.

The school's principal says the building lacked a sprinkler and alarm system, and there weren't enough emergency exits.

School officials say they are looking for a new building, but they'll use portable classrooms leased from APS.

Student Kyra Falvey says she is disappointed her first day of school is being pushed back.

"I was anticipating and waiting to start on August 12. And then a day before that, l found out we would start until August 31, so I got bummed out," she said.

The three-week delay will be made up at the end of the school year.