Breathitt Co. officials hoping start of school will provide some normalcy for students, staff

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Breathitt County students will start classes on Monday and officials hope starting the school year will help students get back to some type of normalcy.

“We definitely need it at this point because we do have some people living in a lot of different places, scattered out in other counties and tents,” Breathitt County High School Principal Charles Davidson.

Davidson said about 100 students at the school lost everything in the flood and many teachers were impacted too.

“Our house was the last house on the street to get water,” social studies teacher Brandon Hayes said.

Hayes is prepared to meet his students’ emotional needs and is already thinking of ways to incorporate the flood into instruction.

“In teaching a lot about civics, we can talk about the government’s response to this and many other tragedies that are going on,” Hayes said.

The flood damaged the school lobby and coliseum, and the nearby vocational school is a total loss. About 400 students taking electives in carpentry, electricity, business, automotive technology, and nursing were supposed to be in that building this year, but now they’ll have to take classes at the local community college.

“This year we’re good, so hopefully things will start looking up,” Breathitt County Area Technology Center Principal Joe Mayabb said.

The flood destroyed a school bus and many roads, leaving the transportation staff to adjust bus routes for impacted students.

“We have some that are displaced in different areas, some that are staying at shelters still, so we’re working on arrangements to go and get them,” Breathitt County Schools Transportation Director Anthony Mullins said.

Athletics, however, will run according to plan.

Principal Davidson is hoping students will have a good school year.

“Just give them a place to come that they’re used to coming to, where people that care about them can take care of them throughout the day,” Davidson said.

Breathitt County High School is holding an open house on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., where students can go and pick up school supplies.