Beaver County students return to school after difficult summer

BEAVER — After a summer marked by wildfires, flash flooding and evacuations, students in Beaver County returned to the classroom Thursday.

As rain continues in the area, school leaders say they want schools to be a place where students can focus on learning and put some of the challenges of the summer behind them.

"It's been a summer of just constant hits of one kind or another. And it hasn't been normal by any means, and there's been a lot of loss," said Dave Long, the Beaver County School District superintendent.

The school district avoided major damage, but its campuses still played a role in the community's emergency response. Beaver schools served as evacuation sites, while a nearby elementary school hosted fire crews and a command center.

"School sites are designated as emergency evacuation sites. There are other evacuation sites in town that they try to use first. But the school district always is ready to lend support in an emergency," Long said.

Now, with the new school year underway, crews and staff have been working to get classrooms and campuses ready for students.

"We want them to know we're here and things are in place. We're ready to go," Long said. "Schools have been busy, even with everything else going on, getting floors and things cleaned and campuses ready for the coming year."

Long said about 1,500 people recently showed up for a cleanup effort, with additional help coming from schools and communities across southern Utah.

As students return to school, the district says it will continue preparing for whatever challenges come next while making the classroom feel as normal as possible.

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