MENA - It's just about back to school time for the children of tornado ravaged Mena. No business or organization was as hard hit as Mena Public Schools, according to superintendent Dr. Diann Gathright. The middle school was decimated. 5NEWS looks at how the district has bounced back to start the school year strong.
Hatfield consolidated with Mena a few years ago, so the building became the temporary school for the 7th and 8th graders. They'll be back at that facility this year and probably the next. Fresh paint and a new roof have gone a long way in bringing the dead campus back to life. "I'm most looking forward to the sutdents first day when they step off the bus the students that were here last year and saw the condition of the campus last year and see the look in their eyes and see their jaws drop when they step off the bus and see what a change has taken place," Todd Coogin, a 7th grade history teacher said.
This was the first official day for faculty. Superintendent Gathright tried to re-energize those gathered at First Baptist Church after a touch end to last school year. She says just because a building wasn't damaged doesn't mean that school or it's students won't experience change.
"Because of the impact of the storm we have had to relocate some of the services that we provided on the Mena Middle School campus to Mena High School so in fact every campus is afffected," Dr. Gathright told 5NEWS.
While the 7th and 8th graders will be at Hatfield, the 6th graders will be at Holly Harshmann Elementary in portable buildings. But those teachers are a little behind in prepping their classrooms.
"They've had to wait until this past week to get the buildings in and set and they're supposed to get electricity to them friday it's going to be a great situation for our faculty and students but it's going to take a little time," middle school principal Mike Hobson explained.
The plan is that Mena High School will be renovated to become the middle school when their new campus that was already in the works is completed.
The district's damage estimate is somewhere between 8 to 12 million dollars. Dr. Gathright says the district is still negotiating with the insurer for a final payment.
The new school year starts next Wednesday. Schools across the state have literally lent helping hands with several sending some of their own people to help, in anyway they could. Other districts have donated gifts, like Fayetteville's offer of 200 student desks the schools no longer used.
Hatfield consolidated with Mena a few years ago, so the building became the temporary school for the 7th and 8th graders. They'll be back at that facility this year and probably the next. Fresh paint and a new roof have gone a long way in bringing the dead campus back to life. "I'm most looking forward to the sutdents first day when they step off the bus the students that were here last year and saw the condition of the campus last year and see the look in their eyes and see their jaws drop when they step off the bus and see what a change has taken place," Todd Coogin, a 7th grade history teacher said.
This was the first official day for faculty. Superintendent Gathright tried to re-energize those gathered at First Baptist Church after a touch end to last school year. She says just because a building wasn't damaged doesn't mean that school or it's students won't experience change.
"Because of the impact of the storm we have had to relocate some of the services that we provided on the Mena Middle School campus to Mena High School so in fact every campus is afffected," Dr. Gathright told 5NEWS.
While the 7th and 8th graders will be at Hatfield, the 6th graders will be at Holly Harshmann Elementary in portable buildings. But those teachers are a little behind in prepping their classrooms.
"They've had to wait until this past week to get the buildings in and set and they're supposed to get electricity to them friday it's going to be a great situation for our faculty and students but it's going to take a little time," middle school principal Mike Hobson explained.
The plan is that Mena High School will be renovated to become the middle school when their new campus that was already in the works is completed.
The district's damage estimate is somewhere between 8 to 12 million dollars. Dr. Gathright says the district is still negotiating with the insurer for a final payment.
The new school year starts next Wednesday. Schools across the state have literally lent helping hands with several sending some of their own people to help, in anyway they could. Other districts have donated gifts, like Fayetteville's offer of 200 student desks the schools no longer used.
