- Steinhatchee School sustained damage from Hurricane Debby
- Forceful winds damaged several roofs and knocked down some ceiling tile in a classroom.
- Watch the video to see how they were able to swiftly recovery on time for the first day of school.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Hurricane Debby left the Steinhatchee School with a few damages, not even a full year after Hurricane Idalia made its mark here as well.
I'm Kenya Cardonne in the Steinhatchee Neighborhood, getting a closer look at the impacts, as administration and staff here work to put the finishing touches on preparations on time for the first day of school.
Steinhatchee School students are getting ready to return to class.
It's something Principal Jimmy Bray tells me he's happy that is still possible after Hurricane Debby's impact on the school.
Jimmy Bray, Principal of Steinhatchee School - "We were pleasantly reassured as we walked through the school. We saw that there was some damage, but nothing that would prevent opening and maintaining our schedule."
He walked me through the school, showing me the several areas of damage to roofs of their buildings.
Pictures show some internal damage to a classroom with saturated ceiling tiles that fell through.
Yet, the school worked swiftly to make the repairs necessary for their doors to still open come August 12th.
Kiley Cole, Teacher at Steinhatchee School - "I think the kids are ready to get back into a routine and I feel like sometimes they feel like this is their safe place."
I spoke with Steinhatchee teacher, Kiley Cole, as she was prepping her classroom ahead of the big day.
She tells me she's excited for school to start, confident that it will allow students and their families to take a breath from all the disaster in the last year.
Cole - "You know, we don't talk about disasters here, you know. It's about learning and having fun and being with their peers and I think that'll be just a breath of fresh air for them."
Principal Bray says each disaster has taught the school how to physically prepare for the next one. Meanwhile, it has taught students a different lesson: mental and emotional resiliency.
Cole - "We can apply that to hurricanes, to disasters, to bad weather but also things in the classroom that they might see as a challenge that might be hard — just to push through that and be resilient in anything in life."
Principal Bray tells me the goal is to have all permanent repairs done by the end of 2024.
In Steinhatchee, Kenya Cardonne, ABC 27
