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Love was on full display at Old Fort Elementary School (OFES) on Monday, Aug. 25.
Staff members peppered the drop-off line, waving as cars pulled up and students hopped out. Harper, the therapy dog, was there to greet kids. Employees from the local Hardees, which sits just outside the school parking lot, joined, cheering and handing out high-fives.
As Old Fort students walked hand in hand towards the front doors, the joy was palpable. It felt like there was always a hug about to happen or a friend to greet.
The scene was more than just a typical first day of school — it was a highly anticipated and long-awaited homecoming for OFES families and staff. The community hadn’t been able to enter the building together since late September 2024 due to the unprecedented flooding and destruction brought about by Hurricane Helene.
In the immediate aftermath of Helene, OFES Principal Jill Ward addressed her school’s families. “I know that some of you have lost everything. We are here. We are going to walk through this, and we will get there together,” Ward said.
Ten months later, Ward and her staff are still walking with those families, and were able to welcome them back to their building, which had been vacated for nearly a year.
‘We made it work’
EdNC met Ward during the first gathering for OFES families at Greenlee Baptist Church, just eleven days after the storm. Some of her students and staff had lost their homes, many of which had sustained significant damage.
Debris was still blocking a majority of roadways, and a creek behind the school had become a river, flooding the building. Families were sitting in pews, waiting to hear what would become of their beloved elementary school.
At that church meeting, Ward and McDowell County Schools (MCS) Superintendent Tracy Grit laid out the plan for OFES students — they were going to join Pleasant Garden Elementary School (PGES) for the foreseeable future. Grit told the community their school was salvageable, but for now, they needed a new home.
The National Guard moved classrooms from the flooded OFES to PGES. Volunteers and organizations showed up in droves, ready to do whatever was needed to get the school back up and running. Ward praised the district maintenance department, PTO, and the many faith-based organizations — local and from across state lines — that showed up.
Over the year, OFES dried out. The school received new flooring, doors, HVAC systems, and more.
Ward admits last year was challenging, but praises her staff and the staff at PGES for working through it. Fitting two schools into one facility required patience and pivots, but she and MCS staff showed resilience. Ward said last year the storm was, “a horrible event, but it wasn’t such horrible circumstance — we made it work.”
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Back to the building
Ward’s happiness to be back at OFES was contagious. Enrollment is up from last year, and the doors are open.
“I’m thrilled for us to be back in school, in our space,” she said.
Ward wanted everyone in the community to be comfortable returning to the building. “We had structural inspections, we had soil inspections, we had air inspections — we had everything,” she said. “We wanted to give everyone a sense of well-being and security,” before heading into the OFES.
The first day back for students was all about getting reacquainted with the school. Everyone, staff included, had been through a collective trauma, and Ward was cognizant of the situation and wanted it to be a gentle and joyous reentry.
During the day, classes walked in lines throughout the building, taking tours and pointing out what they remembered from years past.
Abby Gray’s first grade students, who were kindergarteners in 2024, spent only three weeks at OFES before the storm. This was a sort of second, first-day-ever for many of her students. She lined them up for a “lay of the land” adventure.
The first location on the tour was the library, equipped with new carpet, cabinetry, and books. Next was a pit stop by a mural in the hallway before walking past art, STEM, and literacy focused classrooms.
Then to the front office, gym, and cafeteria. Last was the auditorium where the whole school meets on Friday mornings for a “family” get-together.
Gray’s home sustained damage during the storm, and she relocated to Caldwell County. Her commute is an hour each way, but she can’t imagine being anywhere else. Old Fort has her heart, she said.
And while Gray’s first grade class practiced walking through the lunch line, Bonita Mercurio’s students, a floor above, discussed Harry, the 26-year-old class pet tarantula. They talked feeding habits and habitat, and about what other subjects they’ll explore this year — weather, matter, the human body, and stream systems.
She also asks these fifth grade students to take out a piece of paper and write down what they want to learn this year. Students read aloud things like “how to play the piano” and “how to bake different foods.” Others say they want to learn something mechanical and learn how to handle their emotions better.
Mercurio is in her 23rd year of teaching and is in training as a yoga instructor. To alleviate possible first-day jitters and accompany the writing exercise, she asked her class to stand and participate in a breathing practice.
They raised their hands in unison, and Mecurio instructed her class to “inhale confidence.” Once their hands met at the top, they joined together in a communal breathing out, and she instructed them to “exhale fear.” They repeated this three times, centering themselves before lunch.
Tours continued around the school. Walking through the freshly painted hallways with new floors, the lightness from the staff was unmistakeable. Ward wants people to know how resilient her staff is, how resilient the community is.
“I love these people, and I love this place, and I love these kids, and I love these families,” she said.
The principal was anticipating retirement before the storm last year, but after she knew she was staying with her school. “I had to be in this building. I had to get us back,” she said, adding, “Not that I did it alone — I have a phenomenal team.”
Ward placed herself at the entrance of school for the first day back. She wanted to see every car rider and greet every bus that came through. It’s been a long-awaited return to school, and she was there ushering them in.
“To be able to put eyes, and have words, and get the hugs, and the smiles from my kids — that’s what I’m most excited about today.”
Jill Ward, principal at Old Fort Elementary School
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