SPRINGDALE -- A couple of dozen students stood in rows bouncing basketballs at George Elementary School last week on a concrete pad where their school's gymnasium once stood.
Physical education teacher Jan Andre' Williams often can be found leading his classes there, weather permitting. Otherwise he meets kids in a classroom or in the school's cafeteria.
"We have some beautiful weather for the next couple of weeks, so I was able to roll out the basketball unit this week," Williams said Monday on his way to lunch. "So we'll just do this for a couple of weeks, until it rains or something. Then we'll work on something else."
A tornado destroyed the school's gymnasium March 30. The gym was separate from the school's main building, which also was damaged.
Nearly 10 months later, construction of a new gym has yet to begin, though School District officials have been working toward that behind the scenes.
Rebuilding the gym will be part of a larger project that includes repairing and renovating the main building as well, according to Jeremy White, support services director for the district. The school will get a new cafeteria and stage, music room and administrative area, he said.
The estimated completion date is the fall of 2024.
The Springdale Planning Commission approved the project Oct. 4. The district is awaiting approval from the state's Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation. Once the state approves it, the district can start soliciting bids on the project, White said.
He did not say what the project might cost, but did say insurance will cover the cost to replace the gymnasium and repair the damage to the main building.
Justin Swope, the school's principal, said the rebuilding timeline isn't as quick as some hoped, but added, "We'll be flexible over the next couple of years as we end up having a really nice school building for these kids to go to school and learn."
The tornado formed around 4 a.m. March 30 and traveled about 5.2 miles with wind up to 145 mph, according to a survey by the National Weather Service. It began in Fayetteville near the Northwest Arkansas Mall. From there, it traveled northeast, downing trees, damaging 164 homes, snapping electrical poles and lifting George Elementary School's gym.
The tornado injured seven people, according to Capt. Jeff Taylor of the Springdale Police Department.
Swope said students have adjusted to the changes the storm brought to their school. That doesn't mean they weren't affected emotionally by the tornado; some expressed more fear than usual when subsequent storms arose, he said.
"But kids are resilient. They're a lot more flexible than we are," Swope said. "They handle change better a lot of times than adults do, for sure."
During a school assembly at the end of last school year, every student received a special keychain made from the wood of a fallen tree on George's playground. The message printed in the keychains stated: "Stronger than the storm - EF-3 Tornado - March 30, 2022."
A small shed sits on the concrete pad where Williams keeps some of his equipment. During warmer weather, he keeps a cooler nearby with water, so kids don't have to go back inside the main building for a drink. The gymnasium had a bathroom and water fountains, Swope said.
Williams watches the weather each day and keeps teachers informed on where he intends to have his physical education classes. If it's raining or too cold, he might have students come to the cafeteria, where they can move around a bit, or they might use their laptops to do some learning online about health.
George Junior High School, located next door to George Elementary, occasionally allows him to bring his students over and use their gymnasium, Williams said.
For him and everyone at George Elementary, it's all about staying flexible.
"I just roll with it," Williams said with a chuckle. "That's about all I can do."
Florina Rowan practices basketball techniques, Monday, January 9, 2023 at George Elementary School in Springdale. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Liam Ordonez (center) practices basketball techniques with his classmates, Monday, January 9, 2023 at George Elementary School in Springdale. Visit nwaonline.com/photos for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)More News
NoneGeorge Elementary School
The school opened in 1992. It was named after Gene George, who was CEO and later chairman of the board of George’s Inc.
About 650 students in prekindergarten through grade five are enrolled in the school, according to Principal Justin Swope.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette