SEMINOLE COUNTY, Ga. (WTXL) - Students in Georgia's Seminole County will return to class on November 5, even though parts of the elementary school are still being repaired.
School is supposed to be a place for children to learn and grow, but at Seminole County Elementary School, the halls are empty and part of the roof is still missing from when it was peeled back during the storm.
"We've got some temporary covering on the roof," said Steve Morgan, Managing Director for ServiceMaster Recovery Management. "We're starting to re-roof portions of the roof as we speak in an effort to get as many kids back in here as we can on November 5."
The elementary school was built in 1949. It had weathered many storms, but couldn't stand up to Hurricane Michael.
"This portion of the elementary school as well as our kindergarten wing took significant damage," said Brinson Register, Seminole County Superintendent. "The roof was lifted off and essentially all of our classrooms received significant water damage to the point where it was just about a 100 percent loss."
Many of the classrooms within Seminole County Elementary School are still unrecognizable, but they look a lot better than they did immediately following Hurricane Michael. As the restoration process continues, the classrooms are starting to get a new life and be a learning space once again.
"We have various parts of the building that will be open on November 5, however, this portion of the building, which houses our third and fourth grade will probably be a couple of months," said Register. "We can certainly see the work is being done."
The disaster recovery business and Superintendent Register, both expect to have enough of the school building in working order to bring back all 1,500 students on November 5 for full school days.
Meanwhile, organizations in Whigham have come together to raise money for Seminole County Schools.
They're selling a shirt that says "Tribe Strong."
Those interested have until November 6 to contact Whigham Elementary School to order either a long sleeve or short sleeve shirt.
The shirts start at $10, and payment is due at the time of the order.
