Seneca officials racing to be ready for school year
10:01 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Nearly five months ago, a fire forced students and staff here at Seneca grade school out of their building. Even though they won't be able to walk through these front doors when classes kick off next month, they will be able to return to their school, even if it's just to a small portion of it.
"There was a lot to do, there's still a lot to do. But compared to what we've been through since March 10th, it's pretty amazing," Seneca Grade School principal Amy Beck said.
Truck loads of charred bricks, twisted metal and memories roll out of the playground at the Seneca Grade school.
Work crews chip away at the walls of the school still black from the fire that destroyed it on March 10th. But with school just around the corner...
"We're scheduled to start August 15. We're not sure were going to meet that date," said Brian Harris, USD 442 superintendent.
...tearing the walls down can't happen fast enough.
"It's symbolic. It's like a first step in rebuilding from a tragedy," Harris said.
After spending the spring in make-shift classrooms, Kindergarten through fifth grade will return to the one portion of the building spared by the fire.
Sixth through eighth graders will head to the high school.
"They're just ready to get back to something normal," Harris said.
"We're going to be tight, but we're going to be together," Beck said. "But this whole thing has taught us about flexibility."
While one student has been arrested in connection with the fire...
"It's completely out of our hands and we're going to let justice take it's course," Harris said.
...staff members say they have only one concern:
"It's going to be a great school year," Beck said.
Getting the Raiders back in the saddle.
Harris says the district will face a bond issue in November. It's an effort to move plans forward to build a new school. Administrators hope to have it built by 2009.
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