Lyons School Opens For First Time Since Floods
LYONS, Colo. (CBS4) - Lyons Elementary School was able to open its doors to students for the first time since the September floods Monday morning.
Damaged roads and bridges in the town of Lyons meant that students had to be bussed to other schools.
Lyons Elementary itself wasn't damaged but it needed to wait for the city's approval to make repairs on utilities and infrastructure in order to reopen the school.
"It's certainly interesting, being displaced," said parent Maria Cruss.
Cruss waited outside the school to pick up her daughter Juliana for the first time since September's floods.
"She has known. She would come home and be like 'two more weeks, two more weeks until I get to go back to Lyons Elementary,' " said Cruss.
Principal Andrew Moore says that even though the students have been going to class, returning to their home school is a big deal for the town as a whole.
"Academically we didn't miss a step," said Moore, "Class coming back symbolically was a huge step for the community."
He says that students will be starting a school-wide art project on what the students have to say to the nation about what they've been through.
"Their words and their messages to the world based on what they experienced was something we wanted to provide students the opportunity to do." said Moore.
Cruss and her daughter are still not back in their Lyons home but are thankful to the staff and community at Lyons Elementary, many of who are displaced as well.
"It is nice bit by bit as we start to get back to our normal lives," said Cruss. "On the first day of school they welcomed by kids back with open arms and made it a positive experience."
