Gathered in the parking lot at the Flatwoods Outlet Center, students from Bridgeport High School, along with several faculty members and Principal Mark Defazio, awaited the arrival of representatives from the two West Virginia high schools that recently learned their schools would be torn down due to damages caused by the June flood. 

 

Richwood High School and Herbert Hoover High School will be starting the school year with a lot of ambiguity, as county officials try to determine a plan of action just weeks after the schools and the communities were devastated.  With water lines nearing seven feet in some schools, staff was not allowed to enter the facilities to retrieve any items to stock the classrooms.

 

On July 31, nearly 100 BHS students collected monetary donations in Bridgeport neighborhoods in order to help alleviate some of the anticipated problems for the two schools.  On August 5, they were able to put faces with the people for whom they collected.  The BHS students presented students from each affected school with a check for more than $4000, along with various schools supplies collected.

 

Students who arrived as strangers, left as friends, as those affected by the floods expressed gratitude toward the Bridgeport group. 

 

“It is such a blessing that people we have never even met are willing to do so much for us,” said Richwood High School student Kendra Amick.  “So many of the students in our area lost so much and the kindness of these strangers has brought us so much hope and will lend some normalcy to the start of the new year.”

 

In addition to the BHS donation of more than $8000, Lincoln High School, Liberty High School, Robert C. Byrd High School and South Harrison High School each gave $1000.

 

“Harrison County has been one of the most generous counties in terms of donations and volunteers during this disaster,” said Herbert Hoover Principal Mike Kelly.  “Our community is mourning the loss of one of our students and many of the residents are still unsure of housing options for the school year.  The generous donation by Bridgeport High School enables us to focus on the students and their families and not have to worry as much about restocking classroom supplies.”

 

Each of the schools expressed concerns for the students and faculty as they begin the 2016-17 school year.  With so many decisions yet to be made, the start of school this year comes with both anxiety and hope.

 

“We are really up in the air,” said Herbert Hoover teacher, Danielle Dexter.  “We know we will be starting off with sharing facilities with another school and that eventually, we will have trailers for classrooms as they rebuild the school, but a lot of the details are still unclear.”

 

Echoing Dexter’s sentiments, Richwood High School Assistant Principal, Sundie Casto, showed concerns for both the teachers and the students for the upcoming year. 

 

“They will be tearing down both Richwood High School and Richwood Middle School and the students will start the school year scattered throughout locations around the county.  The band will be housed in a separate facility and buses will continually run to make the plan work, but we still don’t know what type of technological resources will be available to ensure students have every opportunity.”

 

The donation ceremony lasted about an hour, as PBS student representatives from Richwood High School interviewed each of the schools involved in order to add to a documentary about the flood.  It was evident to the Bridgeport students that the students affected were resilient and optimistic, but mostly grateful for the donation and the kindness extended.

 

“We are so glad we could help,” said Student Council President Hayden Miller.  “We were all amazed at how much was raised and we hope it makes a huge difference to both of the schools affected.”

 

Editor's Note: Students from Richwood and Herbert Hoover, along with BHS students are shown above.