WAYCROSS, Ga. — For the first time since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in Ware County, Georgia, parents could be seen waiting in car pick-up lines outside of schools.
The Ware County school district decided to keep schools closed through October 18, which included a preplanned fall break, after the storm caused widespread damage and power outages. According to a spokesperson for the school district, Memorial Drive Elementary was hit the hardest. The storm caused significant roof damage. Other schools experienced minor damage.
Shaledra Osti was waiting in the car line Monday to pick up one of her three sons. She said she is now focused on getting her kids back into the routine of going to school.
"Just trying to get them settled back into the swing of things, and get them excited again," Osti said.
Randall Thrift was also waiting in the car line. He said his grandson could not wait to go back to school.
"He was biting at the bit, he was ready to come back. He even went to bed early last night," Thrift said.
In a statement, Ware County Superintendent Bert Smith thanked parents, students, and staff for being understanding these last few weeks. He said, "We recognize that the last few weeks have been challenging for our community, and we appreciate the resilience shown by our families during this time."
He also said the district will be helping families during this transition back to school, saying "as we move forward, we’re focused on ensuring that our students receive the education they deserve while providing support to families as they adjust back to a regular schedule."
While families get used to getting their kids to and from school again, Osti said she is grateful for the extra time at home with her boys.
"I think they’ll get settled in pretty quickly, kids are easy like that, usually," Osti explained.
A spokesperson confirmed there were no problems for the first day back. Since the district is a Strategic Waiver School System, meaning it has a performance agreement with the Georgia Dept. of Education which allows them more flexibility, as of now, the district does not plan on making up the days missed because of Hurricane Helene.