Hurricane Helene-damaged Madeira Beach school partially reopens amid reservations from parents
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - After more than two months of displacement following Hurricane Helene, middle-grade students at Madeira Beach Fundamental K-8 will return to campus on Monday. The return signals the first phase of reopening at the school.
In a Thanksgiving letter to the MBFS community, principal Chris Ateek wrote:
"Gratitude and thanks are the perfect reflection of what I have experienced since late September when our community was hit by Hurricane Helene. Each day, I am moved and inspired by the Pinellas County school district who returned students expeditiously to the classroom and the school communities at Osceola Fundamental High School, Southern Oak Elementary, and Walsingham Elementary for welcoming our staff and students to their campuses. The Madeira Beach Fundamental staff continue to inspire by making the best of temporary spaces. And our school community could not have been more generous with donations, kind words, and dedication in getting your students to us each day. Every day, I marvel at the incredible devotion of you all and celebrate the amazing support shown. This has been a heavy lift. But we are Mad Strong, and we can all do hard things when it's required. When we return from Thanksgiving Break, Madeira Beach Fundamental is committed to continuing an academic focus and supporting students and families each school day and beyond."
Students in middle-grades return to Madeira Beach school, which was damaged during Hurricane Helene.
The building had remained closed since sustaining significant damage from Hurricane Helene in late September. According to administrators, the key obstacle came in the form of electrical systems overcome with seawater.
RELATED: 2 Pinellas County schools shut down after Hurricane Helene
The school's 1,400 students were divided between two different campuses. Elementary-aged children continue to temporarily attend classes at Walsingham Elementary, which is about 7 miles to the north of their usual campus.
The middle-school-aged students had been attending classes at Osceola Fundamental High two miles south of Walsingham. Many parents had struggled with the logistics of having children in both middle and elementary school at Madeira, dealing with two car lines per day and juggling two different drop-off/pick-up times for the past eight weeks.
Madeira Beach Fundamental School partially reopened on Monday.
According to a December 1 update from the school, the high-level timeline for the construction full return to the Madeira Beach Fundamental K-8 site is as follows.
- Start of Construction: Early December 2024
- Substantial Completion of Elementary: Mid-March 2025 (potential return to campus following Spring Break, pending construction progress)
- Substantial Completion of Middle School: April 2025
As the first phase of reopening gets underway, some parents have raised concerns and questions about classroom items discarded after the storm, leaving teachers to start all over to gather instructional materials. Others worry about mold and air quality given the water intrusion into the building. A group of parents has accused the district of withholding information regarding the specific measures taken to keep students safe.
The most recent air quality report shared by district officials shows the presence of several types of mold on campus, with Pinellas County Schools Area 3 Superintendent Dywayne Hinds telling faculty and staff in a letter that the reports "provide critical insights into the conditions within our school."
Hinds assured staff in an email that the district remains "committed to regularly monitoring and testing spaces within the school to prioritize the safety and well-being of all stakeholders."
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