Storm survivors say reopening schools will bring sense of normalcy
WHITELAND, Ind. (WISH) — A mother displaced by Friday’s tornado said Monday she and her family hope schools reopen as promised.
Amber Estes’ home was still standing but currently uninhabitable due to the damage it sustained in Friday’s tornado outbreak. She has spent the past two days going through her belongings to salvage what she can. Her insurance provider is covering the cost of temporary housing.
Estes’ son, Corbin, is in fifth grade and attends Clark-Pleasant schools, which serve the Whiteland area. Corbin had been on spring break and was eager to see his friends again.
“He still kind of is ready to go to school because he’s ready to tell his friends about the stories and actually just make sure that his friends are safe and doing OK,” Estes said.
Corbin and other Clark-Pleasant students will have to wait a little longer. Late Monday afternoon, school corporation officials announced schools would remain closed Tuesday and Wednesday because the school system is still without internet access.
Classes will resume on Thursday and Friday but middle school and high school students will be on remote learning. Only elementary school students will have class in person. The Clark-Pleasant Early Learning Center will not have classes for the rest of the week.
Estes says she’s not worried about the prospect of learning loss but getting Corbin back into class will help him and his friends process what they’ve been through.
“It’s definitely a sense of normalcy for him, I believe. He can have that connection with all his friends and everything that everyone else has been through,” Estes said.