Scorched School Ready to Start

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By Sara Desautel

Summary

Sam Boardman Elementary kids get back to school Tuesday after a fire nearly ruins there building last May.

Story Published: Aug 27, 2007 at 5:30 PM PST

Scorched School Ready to Start
BOARDMAN--It's down to the wire.

Kids will board into Sam Boardman Elementary Tuesday.

Can they get it done by Tuesday? Kindergarten teacher Pam Files says, "Absolutely. We have children on Tuesday morning, there's no, can you do it. You do it."

It's been a process to get here.

Jacque Johnson said, "We've been through all the stages of grief. We've spent our time being angry. We've spent our time being angry. We've spent our time being sad but we're to the point where we ready to rebuild."

Last year, Sarah Christy was a brand new teacher.

After the fire all she was left with was a notebook.

Christy said, "It's almost like my first year all over again two years in a row."

The silver lining on the devastation is that everything is new again.

Physical Education teacher Mike Cates said, "Everything is new. No defects in any of the materials. That's the good part."

The kids never saw the fire damage. They got a summer break early, but they have a lot to anticipate after all the changes.

Monday was the first time to take a look for teachers to really see what they're dealing with and they say they're ready.

Johnson said, "We're excited. We're excited about the new building. The freshness, the new look. We anticipate student energy and we're ready."

In May, that fire started from a faulty light fixture fell from the ceiling and caused the carpet to smolder.

At that time the school didn't have a sprinkler system.

That fire caused $3 million worth of damage.