Students return to school in McDowell County

Yahoo

11-03-2025

welch — McDowell County students were welcomed back to class Monday as the school system worked to address their emotional needs following the devastating Feb. 15 flood.
All of McDowell County's school reopened Monday, said Assistant Superintendent Amanda Peyton.
'Absolutely. We've opened our campuses today to students,' Peyton said.
The school system has reached out to all its students by making home visits and even taking teddy bears when visiting families facing significant impacts from the flood. Peyton said the school system is working within its resources to help these families overcome barriers between their children and school.
Peyton said the school system is working on individualized lesson plans for students who have trouble getting to school and students who have been displaced by the flood. Some students are now in other counties and other states. The goal is to help them keep up with their studies.
'We've done a lot of programs that offer focus on recovery, first and foremost focusing on their social and emotional needs,' she said.
Students were welcomed back to class Monday with celebrations ranging from dances, bounce houses and ice cream socials, Peyton said. The next step is to help them catch up academically. The school system has a technical support program and distributed Chrome devices last week so students can participate in online lessons. Wifi connections are available in school parking lots.
With summer break in mind, McDowell County Schools has applied to the West Virginia Department of Education to be exempt from the state's required 180 days in school. A county plan is being put in place to maximize learning, Peyton said.
There are school calendar days that can be converted to instructional days, she said. The school system is asking that spring break days be converted to instructional days so students don't have to attend school into the summer.
Peyton said county schools aided students, their families and communities after the flooding.
'I just think it's been truly amazing to see our staff come together,' she said. 'We ran three shelters. The flood happened on Saturday and we opened our doors to the community and they were run by McDowell County Schools staff and volunteers.'
Food was distributed at three schools and three meals a day were prepared, plus flood victims could shower and wash clothes as well as find a safe place to stay, Peyton said.
'We're just really proud of our system,' she said. 'It's been a beautiful thing to see the community come together and support each other.'
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Sunday that just three weeks after severe floods hit southern West Virginia, all schools will now be open across the state. McDowell County reopening Monday meant that all 55 county school systems are operational.
'I am so thankful for the educators, school staff, and state and local officials who worked around the clock to quickly recover and get kids back in school,' Morrisey said. 'This is a significant achievement, and one that was made possible through teamwork and sacrifice. We know the work is not done, and we will continue to support southern West Virginia as they recover.'
'I am humbled by the outpouring of support and love we have received in McDowell County,' said McDowell County Schools Superintendent Dr. Ingrida Barker. 'Our principals, educators, counselors and staff were committed to the students from the very beginning, even though many of them suffered flood damage to their own homes. We call it 'McDowell Strong' because we work together until the job is done. With our students returning to their schools in person, we will be able to resume instruction while also supporting them as they recover from this traumatic disaster that has touched everyone in our community.'
When disasters hit West Virginia, school superintendents, educators and school personnel are among the first to respond to the needs of children and families, said State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt.
'McDowell County is no exception,' Blatt said. 'From feeding the community to getting clothing and bare necessities collected and distributed, the school system did it all. I am so proud of what they accomplished so quickly to get children back to school and resume some level of normalcy. We will continue to support their recovery because we know there remains much work to do.'
West Virginia Department of Education staff have traveled to McDowell County to cover shifts in the emergency shelters, provided support to create a back-to-school plan and calendar adjustments, ensured bus routes had necessary signage where roads were damaged, worked with impacted counties to determine any equipment or financial needs, and allowed parents or guardians to pick up multi-day meal boxes for their children.
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