School board unveils plan to get Henryville students back to class

Henryville High School students and their parents found out Thursday that classes could re-start in just a couple of weeks.

School has been closed ever since a tornado ripped a major chunk of it to shreds last Friday.

At a school board meeting held in a nearby high school gym, Superintendent Monty Schneider told hundreds of students and parents that leaders are working on a plan to get students studying again.

"We don't have a timeline on this," said Schneider. "Everything's day to day. But we think we can get kids into school in the next few weeks."

Schneider said the tentative plan is to send elementary students to the former Graceland Christian School in New Albany the week before Spring Break. High school students would start attending classes at Mid-America Science Park in Scottsburg the week after Spring Break.

Although it's not the school senior Elizabeth Hamm has been used to for years, it's a place where she will be able to see her friends and teachers again.

"Everyone else is like you're lucky you don't have to go to school, but I actually wanna go back to school," said Hamm.

Parents were also pleased, knowing students wouldn't be separated and would get back to a routine.

"School is all they know," said Tiny Bryson. "Between school and sports and home, that's all the children know. And it's important to get them back to what they know."

In the meantime, Schneider said the school board is trying to rebuild the torn up high school building, hoping to get students back into it as early as this fall.

"Everyday the building looks more salvageable than it did the day before," said Schneider.

For now, students and their parents will have to move on with what they have. Going back to school, wherever it might be, means getting back to normal.

"I've actually just taken off work and I will be that way until she gets back to her routine and then I can get back to my routine," said Henryville parent Beth Maloney. "My family comes first."

By the time high school students get into their temporary school, they will have missed at least three weeks of class time. Schneider told parents the board is working with the state to get some of those days forgiven so that seniors can still graduate on time.

ISTEP is another issue school leaders have to tackle, but won't touch until students are settled into their new temporary schools.