Sulphur Superintendent Matt Holder said in a community letter Sunday that Davis Public Schools provided two buses for Sulphur’s track team to attend regional competition Monday. In an interview with StateImpact, he said he is working to confirm transportation for students to finish the rest of the school year.
“It’s been amazing, the outpouring of support from all over the state really, but even especially our districts that are nearby that have been willing to help and to work with us and try to get us through the rest of the year,” Holder said. “We’ve had, like I said, an outpouring of support and willingness to let us use buses from different districts.”
The storm left the high school without power, but Holder said utility crews were able to get the site back online Monday, though there’s still significant water damage at several school buildings and loose debris and downed fences around the campus.
The district was in the middle of state testing, with fifth and eighth grade originally scheduled to start Monday. Holder said he's working with the State Department of Education to update the district’s testing timeline.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a news release Sunday, he was directing the “full resources” of the department to provide support to districts affected by the storms. That includes waivers or extensions for testing, a crisis response team, OSDE staff serving as substitute teachers and coordinating with the governor’s office and legislature for additional support.
Right now, Holder said there’s not much people can do to help other than donate to the American Red Cross. But that could change when students get back into classrooms.
“Once we get kids back in school, and we really are able to identify the needs of our families and students that were impacted, I think at that time, we might have a little better idea of what we need,” Holder said.
