CASTLEWOOD, S.D. (KELO) — The new school year is in full swing across KELOLAND.
For students in the Castlewood School District, the new year also brings a new look at school.
On the evening of May 12th, 2022 an EF2 tornado with wind speeds up to 120 miles an hour swept through Castlewood.
The dangerous weather left behind lots of destruction, including at the Castlewood School where the school year was winding down.
“We lost eight classrooms in our elementary. We lost our nurses office. We lost the library, all of our locker rooms. Our auxiliary gymnasium, the roof caved in, so we lost that. Our lunchroom and then our commons area was damaged,” Superintend and High School Principal Angea Keszler said.
Then came uncertainty about how to move forward.
“I think there was just a lot of questions about now what? What are we going to do? Where are we going to hold classes? I think the kids were confused about it like, ‘Are we going to have to join with other schools?” Keszler said.
Fourth-grader Drew Ruml was a kindergartener at the time.
“I was scared and I was wondering what would happen to the school,” Ruml said.
She’s one of the students who started the next school year learning in churches for a few months and then a modular unit for the next few years.
“Me and my friends just kept on going on and saying it’s going to be okay,” Ruml said.
But this school year looks a lot different for Ruml and her classmates.
Now she’s back in her school learning in a new classroom.
“I think it’s awesome. It’s just so big, and it’s a really good experience to learn. I love my classroom and I love all my classmates and I really think my classmates love learning just like me,” Ruml said.
Dan Haug is her teacher.
He remembers the aftermath of the tornado well.
“I had a classroom and a science lab, and the bus shed, the pieces of tin were inside my classroom,” Haug said.
He says he loves the new space.
“Just super excited for our community and our kiddos that get to enjoy it,” Haug said.
The project, which includes a rebuild and addition, is mostly wrapped up.
“It took us two years to get our lunchroom back and our commons area, and then now we’re just getting back into the rest of it three years later,” Keszler said.
The project includes new classrooms, an auxiliary gym, locker rooms, and more.
The library is still being unpacked and there are still some touch-ups that need to be done.
Still, all students are back to learning in their school. For Haug, that’s a highlight of the project.
“It’s been a long three years. Just the getting finished, you know, getting to the finish line and getting our kids back in here has been awesome,” Haug said.
“I think for everybody it’s just a breath of fresh air. It’s been a long time coming and a long road and a lot of bumps in the road and I think there’s just an excitement about having everybody back in the building,” Keszler said.
Students in Pre-K through 4th grade used the churches and modular unit.
The school wants to sell the modular unit.
If you’re interested, you can give the school a call.
