PANOLA COUNTY, Miss. — “A lot of students been displaced. But the teachers, they’re good teachers, and they’re going to put them where they need to go,” said Shanetta Baker.
Baker finally got her two children situated Thursday morning.
Both of them attended Batesville Elementary School before the July fire, but now they are among nearly 650 students moved into new learning environments.
“We moved the fifth grade to the Junior High. And then we moved the Kindergarten to the wing of the Middle school where the fifth grade was located,” said Superintendent Tim Wilder.
He said despite all the classroom shuffling, things went smoothly.
“The first day of school is always a little bit hectic. But it went very well,” he said.
The first did more than wipe out 17 kindergarten rooms, a cafeteria and administrative offices, it destroyed thousands of dollars worth of teaching supplies and classroom furnishings.
Last week workers rushed to assemble tables and chairs at Batesville Middle School, while teachers and counselors picked up donated supplies.
Pamela and Hollis Crowder wanted to do their part too to make this first day of school a good one for deserving students.
“Our hearts just sank when we heard this on the news, about Batesville Elementary School burning down. And we just said, ‘what can we do to help?'” Pamela said.