While the school year is set to begin Wednesday for the Castlewood School District, Castlewood elementary students will not be attending the first few days as originally scheduled, because of a delay in the arrival of some mobile classrooms.
“The mobile classroom units are still in Texas. They are not even dismantled yet for transportation,” Castlewood Superintendent Peter Books said.
The new arrival date for the mobile units is the week of Sept. 12, but classes will not be held in the units until early October. Elementary students’ grades kindergarten through fourth will have class in the First Presbyterian and North American Lutheran Churches after Labor Day on Sept. 6 instead.
More:Castlewood to use mobile classrooms next school year after tornado hit town on May 12
Meanwhile, grades fifth through 12th will resume class at the Castlewood School beginning Wednesday.
On May 12, a derecho, or major wind storm, tore through Castlewood, nearly ripping its school building in half and destroying the gymnasium.
More:With no gyms due to tornado, Castlewood athletes find new ways to prepare for next season
Since then, and throughout the summer, the school building has been thoroughly cleaned, and some repairs were made to the least damaged portion of the school, although there are still portions that will remain closed off to staff and students as work progresses in the building’s repairs.
The school district purchased a portion of property directly south of the school building. This is where the mobile units will be placed once they arrive. The concrete slabs are already set, awaiting the arrival of the pods.
More:As Castlewood school decides what’s next, Johnson vows to fight for FEMA funding
The mobile units will house eight classrooms and four offices. The school kitchen was also damaged from the storm, so a mobile kitchen is being used this year to feed hungry students. It is currently ready to start serving meals Wednesday.
“We’ve been learning a lot,” said Books. “And the churches have been very accommodating to us.”
The churches are lending their space to the school district free of charge, but the district will provide custodial services every evening during the school week. The school is also responsible for supplying the learning tools and resources necessary for ensuring that the elementary students have what they need to begin learning this year.