Brantley County students head back to school on Tuesday, just months after the devastating Highway 82 wildfire destroyed more than 100 homes and left a lasting impact on the tight-knit community.
Students outside Waynesville Primary School seemed eager to get back to their classrooms and friends.
One teacher told us that the day is about more than academics for these kids. It’s about creating their new normal after the fire burned thousands of acres of land and closed schools in the county for a number of days, while emergency crews worked to contain the blaze.
The school district serves over 3,000 students, and more than 100 of them were displaced during the fire, according to the superintendent, Dr. Walker Todd.
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Waynesville Primary teacher Tina Gibson said she also had to evacuate her home and stay with a friend for a few weeks.
“I’m really excited because a bunch of them are just now getting homes, and so starting the new school year in a new home will help them feel more stable and more ready to learn,” Gibson said. “Just being back and seeing their faces being back to the normalcy.”
We asked Todd what his message was to families going into the new school year.
“The message is more so for the parents, community, and the students. Thank you for trusting us with your kids, first and foremost, to our parents. We’re gonna do everything we can do to make sure they’re healthy, to make sure they’re successful. To the students, our teachers are excited; they’re ready to see you. And we’re ready to just do a great school year,” Todd said.
Todd is also starting his first year as superintendent of Brantley County.