Published: April 08, 2009 02:28 pm      

WO-C CISD on path back from Ike

WEST ORANGE — The Bridge City Independent School District may have sustained the worst hurricane-related flood damage of the five Orange County school districts in 2008, but the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District was right behind.

West Orange-Stark Middle School and the North Early Learning Center sustained major water damage, courtesy of Hurricane Ike’s storm surge.

The damage was so severe at North Early Learning Center that its children spent more than four months sharing Oates Elementary with that campus’ fourth and fifth grade children.

Prior to Ike, the school district had considered relocating the children from NELC to the Anderson facility since it is one of the newest campuses in the West Orange-Cove school district.

However, the school board made the decision to repair North Early Learning Center and spent more than $1.7 million district-wide. Students returned to the campus in February.

West Orange-Cove CISD began the 2008-2009 school year with an enrollment figure of 2,674 students. However, that figure dropped to 1,999 students on the first day of instruction following Hurricane Ike. As of Feb. 27, student enrollment had increased to 2,558 children.

Dr. O. Taylor Collins, West Orange-Cove CISD superintendent, said in a previous interview the district’s enrollment number has been fairly steady for some time, but it did lose some students over the Christmas holiday break. Collins said he is confident students and their families will return to the West Orange-Cove school district as repairs are made to rental properties and family houses.

“I believe the numbers will continue to increase over time,” Collins added. “It’s amazing with the amount of damage sustained in Orange and West Orange that we had our numbers go back up so quickly. To me that means people want their children to be here.”

The school district is also in the midst of new construction and renovation projects, which were scheduled and started before the hurricane.

The construction of the new West Orange-Stark Elementary School is well under way and should be completed sometime late this year.

The campus will also pay tribute to two well respected district educators — Andrew Hayes and Bettie Curtis — and name facilities after them. Students will be able to enjoy Andrew Hayes Gymnasium and the Bettie Curtis Library for years to come.