Rules treat school art as fire hazard

The binding rules, passed by the state Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, allow some exceptions for art that is enclosed in viewing cabinets or made of nonflammable materials, like clay. But the rules will clearly force the removal of many pieces of art and classroom-related signs.

''I don't think it's going too far,'' said Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. ''It sets a reasonable expectation of recognizing the importance of artwork being put on walls and exhibited. At the same time, we have to recognize that untreated material can cause the rapid spread of a fire.''

Some expressed amazement at the rules, saying that displays of artwork instill pride in student artists and enliven school corridors. Teachers often use paper to display information for their pupils, such as giant paper letters of the alphabet or oversized splashes of color to teach the difference between red and blue. Lynn Lumenti-Melfi, a Medway Middle School art teacher who says she ''hangs up every single piece that every single student makes,'' said the new rules will rearrange her classroom.

''It's a little much,'' Lumenti-Melfi said of the rules. ''I just see kids getting excited about seeing their stuff hung up, and a lot of kids shine in that area, where they wouldn't shine in an academic area.''

The new rules soften the current law, which permits virtually no display of untreated school artwork, something most schools ignore, state officials acknowledged. The new rules, written with the input of statewide education groups and a public hearing, are modeled after suggestions by the National Fire Protection Association, Coan said.

The panel has discussed the changes for nearly a year, he said, and the rules were not prompted by the February fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., which killed 100 people.

Larry Peeno -- deputy executive director of the National Art Education Association in Reston, Va. -- said that Massachusetts is ''opening a big can of worms'' with the new rules.

Will anyone check the content of students' backpacks or their desks, he wondered. ''If people started delving into this, I think there's no limit to what [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] could find if they went into a school,'' Peeno said.

The state Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, a 13-member panel that writes the state's fire code, approved the new rules last week. Coan said he expects them to take effect within a few months and said local fire departments and inspectors will help schools enforce the rules.

The rules specify that paper decorations, artwork, and teaching materials cannot exceed 20 percent of a classroom's wall space or cover an egress or exit. Art inside enclosed display cabinets or made of noncombustible materials does not count. But artwork in classrooms with sprinklers can cover up to 30 percent of the wall space.

Artwork is not allowed in exit hallways, but enclosed art or noncombustible hangings are allowed.

The rules are more restrictive for large assembly areas, such as cafeterias, gyms, and auditoriums. The rules forbid paper decorations and hangings in those areas unless they are enclosed or noncombustible. Artwork can cover up to 10 percent of the wall areas in those bigger spaces if sprinkler systems have been installed.

Abington Fire Chief Malcolm Whiting, a member of the Board of Fire Prevention and a supporter of the new rules, said schools can easily treat their paper artwork to make it noncombustible.

''I understand it's very important for children to display artwork; that's not the issue,'' Whiting said. ''The issue is blocking egress corridors or making it unsafe for people who inhabit the building, the kids, who are the people we're trying to protect.''

Michael S. Rosenwald of the Globe staff contributed to this report.