More than a year after an EF-3 tornado ripped through Springfield Middle School in the Wilson County (North Carolina) district, the wings damaged in the storm have been rebuilt and students are back in their classrooms.
WNCN-TV reports that sixth and seventh grade students were left without classrooms in 2024 after a tornado tore through portions of the school.
"Everyone is just really excited for the students to be able to get back inside of the building,” said Ben Williams, Wilson County's assistant superintendent for administrative services.
Sixth and seventh grade students walked into their new wings for the first time Monday. For some, this was their first time inside a real classroom at Springfield Middle School. For the last year, instruction has taken place in auditoriums, media centers and mobile classrooms.
Rebuilding cost the district $5 million, which doesn’t include the cost to replace classroom supplies and desks. Williams credited students for their ability to adapt during each phase of rebuilding
“They were in some spaces here in the building, and we went through another phase where we had the mobile units that were set up for them to go,” Wiliams said. “So, they had to transition each time that we did that.”
