SPRING VALLEY, Calif. — Students and staff at Bancroft Elementary in Spring Valley returned to school Monday, more than a month after flooding from the January 22 storm decimated dozens of classrooms.
They were greeted with a colorful balloon arch and 'Welcome Back' signs.
"Just excited and really happy to see all the students here," said Principal Nathan Saucedo. "It's a happy homecoming."
He said support from the community and from parents helped make today possible.
"I want to make sure students feel this is a safe place. They're going to see the smiles of all the people they know and this is home for them," he added.
Since the storm, hundreds of students and staffers have held classes at the nearby Spring Valley Academy while crews repaired extensive damage to the school, including 32 classrooms.
The cleanup efforts couldn't have been done without community support, said Robert Cochrane from the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District during a January 24 tour with CBS 8.
At the time of the tour, the school looked like a disaster zone, with hallways and classrooms caked with mud and debris from the floodwaters.
"You talk about all of the staff, our maintenance and facilities staff that have worked diligently to clean up what are just catastrophic messes," said Cochran during the January walkthrough.
Large dryers and humidifiers are in the classrooms now as crews continue to clean up and power wash the school’s sidewalks.
"I’m so encouraged by the fact that everyone has come together to accomplish what almost seems like an impossible task," said Cochran.