(Atlantic) It’s been an unusual year for the Atlantic middle school students, staff, and administrators relocated to make shift classrooms following the July 27, 2021 fire that caused significant water damage to the middle school building. Eighty-five percent of the building sustained minor to severe damage, forcing school administrators to develop a plan where students could still learn face-to-face with a teacher.
“July 27, 2021, we had a fire and scrambled that day wondering what we were going to do, and here we are five days away from the end of the year, and we made it,” said Barber. “All indications are we’re going to be back in the Middle School again and back to normal.”
Atlantic school administrators had to act quickly to find locations for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. Atlantic Schools Superintendent Steve Barber appeared on “Trojan Talk” on Friday. The 6th and 7th-grade students temporarily relocated to the EOC facility. The 7th-grade students relocated to the eastern third of the Achievement Center, and the 8th grade found a temporary home at the high school. The EOC and Links program utilized the classroom space in front of the building. The EOC program was relocated to a room or rooms at the Iowa Western Community College. The Links students and staff found a temporary home in the Early Learning Center, where the Home School Assistance program is located.
“I appreciate the people displaced, including our teachers, and it will be great to get back to the Middle School,” said Barber.
Barber says the goal is for First Onsite to release the building back to the school district on June 6. Mr. Barber says following the walk-through, it appears June 6 is the target date for completion. He says a lot of work is done, including temporary lighting, ceiling tiles, room cleanup, and minimal work in the hallways.
