After a week and a half of missed school due to flooding along the Wolf River, Shiocton schools went back to in-person learning April 27.
But while students have returned to class, Shiocton Superintendent Garrett Zimmerman acknowledged in a social media post that a sense of normalcy might take much longer.
Some parking spaces near the school are still flooded, and Zimmerman said the district would reach out to families displaced from their homes to provide more support.
“We will take our time to reconnect, check-in with students and staff, and build routine,” he said in the post. “Lives have drastically changed since we last had school in-person and we need to be responsive to our families and community.”
In all, Shiocton students missed eight days of school. In an earlier post on the district’s social media, Zimmerman said he was applying for an emergency waiver from the state so Shiocton students wouldn’t need to make up missed days of school. It is uncertain whether that waiver has been approved or is still awaiting a decision.
Shiocton was evacuated and the schools were closed April 15. After the floodwaters crested at a record-high 15.1 feet April 17, residents began to return to their homes April 23.
Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Shiocton schools reopen April 27 after floodwaters recede
Reporting by Rebecca Loroff, Appleton Post-Crescent / Appleton Post-Crescent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
