The pews of Greenlee Baptist Church were filled Tuesday, Oct. 8 not for a typical service, but for an Old Fort Elementary School announcement. Students and their parents responded to a message by Principal Jill Ward and gathered at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to find out how and when they would be going back to school after Hurricane Helene.
Ward addressed the crowd and echoed the sentiments of so many in the region, “Who has ever heard of a tropical storm in the middle of the mountains?”
Old Fort Elementary endured flooding, and the building will remain closed while recovery efforts continue. Superintendent Dr. Tracy Grit pointed to just below his knee to show parents how high the water went in some parts of the school.
He thanked everyone for being there and spoke about the last two weeks of life in McDowell County. Some families who were sitting in the pews had homes that were gone, some of which sat beside Old Fort Elementary. Grit emphasized the generosity of spirit he has seen throughout the community, the willingness to help neighbors and share resources.
He assured everyone that Old Fort Elementary’s building “is 100% salvageable,” but it will take time to get there.
In announcing the new school plan, one priority rose above all others. Ward told the crowd, “Number one, our students stay together.” It garnered the largest applause of the meeting.
The superintendent and principal took turns explaining the plan and its specifics.
Pleasant Gardens Elementary School in Marion is housed in an old high school, so the facility is larger than most. Old Fort Elementary will join Pleasant Gardens in their school, while keeping the structure of their classes.
Grit said Tuesday, members of the National Guard arrived at Old Fort Elementary and helped move school items to Pleasant Gardens. Ward and her staff were busy creating their classrooms in the new location.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 14, Old Fort Elementary will take a staggered approach to returning to school to help with transitions inside the building and outside with traffic. On Monday, only grades 3-5 will return. On Tuesday, only K-2. And on Wednesday, everyone, including pre-K, will be in school. The Smart Start program will be housed at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church and start back on Monday.
Both leaders highlighted that for now, things aren’t perfect, but urged everyone to keep working together with grace.
The head of transportation for McDowell County Schools, William Thomas, talked about new community pick up spots, with the disclaimer that the plan may change with the rapid removal of debris. All Old Fort Elementary buses were lost in the flood, so Catawba County Schools and Alexander County Schools have sent some of their fleet to help.
Grit said he wants others to know just how incredible the recovery effort has been in the community. It is hard labor, cutting trees, clearing roads, and moving mud. He praised the Emergency Management and Emergency Services Coordinator William Keller for having the provisions ready for search and rescue.
“I know that some of you have lost everything. We are here. We are going to walk through this, and we will get there together.”Jill Ward, Principal of Old Fort Elementary
“In order to get where we are, it took a lot of people rowing in the same direction,” Grit said.
As families were filing into the church parking lot and signing in, it was the first time a lot of educators were laying eyes on their students. There were exclamations of joy and familiarity, with a lot of hugs as students ran around the table to greet their teacher.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ward assured her parents of two things. First, that despite the situation, their children were going to be afforded every opportunity that they would have been given this year had Helene not impacted the area. And secondly, that she and her staff will be keeping their children safe and happy, and that they will learn this year.
Source: This story was originally published by ednc.org , Caroline Parker
Cover photo credit pexels.com by Max Fischer
