Governor Roy Cooper visited Hampton Elementary Monday to assess the damages there. During his visit he saw damaged roads, buildings and homes.
School will resume for most Guilford County students, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Only four elementary schools – Erwin Montessori, Hampton, Peeler and McLeansville – will remain closed for students tomorrow.
Students at Erwin Montessori, Hampton and Peeler elementary schools will return at a later date because they are relocating to other GCS schools. Plans are underway to relocate Erwin Montessori to Alamance Elementary, Hampton to Reedy Fork Elementary and Peeler to Bluford Elementary.
In addition, McLeansville Elementary will not reopen Wednesday for students because it is not likely that power will be restored to the school on time. Principals at these four schools will communicate where staff should report for work tomorrow.
Due to road closures, GCS will not be able to provide transportation to and from schools in the most affected areas. Many streets in east Greensboro remain impassable, which may limit bus access. If students cannot get to school tomorrow, their absences will be excused.
“School is the best place for students right now, so we wanted to reopen schools as quickly as possible,” said Nora Carr, GCS Chief of Staff. “We will restore normal school bus services as soon as we can.”
GCS employees and community volunteers are currently canvassing the neighborhoods in order to spread the message about schools resuming. They will do so on foot in order to deliver fliers straight to residents, many of whom may still be without electricity.
Parents living in shelters, hotels and other temporary locations due to the storm should call Yatisha Blythe, GCS homeless and transitional services supervisor, to arrange transportation for their children to and from school. The phone number is 336-370-2313.
Power outages, fluctuations in phone service and other storm-related issues are likely to continue at some schools and district offices tomorrow and in the days ahead, officials note.
“As the county emergency management director noted yesterday, this is a marathon not a sprint,” said Carr. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work as fast as we can to address new issues and concerns.”