Texas schools that became flood ‘relief hubs’ welcome students back: ‘It’s OK to not be OK’ | Texas floods 2025

Texas schools reopened their doors two months earlier than expected this summer. But the reason was tragic.

They were transformed into “rescue centers” to welcome volunteers whose efforts have contributed to responding to the devastating floods in the state. Now, as the lessons have mainly taken over in Texas, classrooms have been transformed temporary emergency centers into places of learning, but that does not mean that memories of what has been lost will linger with the community indefinitely.

“In the coming days, we will continue to remain united, working hand in hand to support our neighbors and help our community to heal as a result of this event,” said Sarah Nichols, director of the Hunt school in the center of the County of Kerr, Texas.

“Our school was a lighthouse of hope, service and resilience.”

The Hunt school, which serves primary and college students, has joined several others in touched areas of Texas to become a center for relief and recovery in the first days of sudden floods. The floods, which started on the weekend of July 4, killed at least 135 people, including many children. The authorities continue to look for more than 100 missing people.

On the third day of the floods, the Hunt campus was rebuilt as a functional house, offering food, showers and safe accommodation for more than 150 people at a time. It has also become an operations center for several organizations such as Reach Global, Team Rubicon and Aerial Recovery. Volunteers worked to store and distribute research and recovery supplies and provide fuel to the first stakeholders.

“The community was exceptional. If people were not affected by the floods, they did everything they could to help those who were, “said Thomas McAvoy, one of Team Rubicon volunteers, a humanitarian organization led by veterans, who remained at Hunt school for the duration of recovery efforts.

“To children who go back to school, I would say first of all thank you,” added McAvoy. “We were allowed to enter your space, and the few interactions we had with you, you were incredible. I know that it was an event that changed life, but as a survivor, it will have made you stronger, and I know that you will do great things to help this no longer happen again. ”

The staff returning to the Hunt campus on August 11 and the students on August 20, the recovery mission to bring the buildings back to their original objective was crucial. The school still operated as a refuge until the end of July, with classrooms acting like dormitories with beds in office places and conference rooms as supply rooms for given products.

“It was not normal functions for a school preparing for a new semester, but the Times called for extraordinary measures,” said Oscar Arauco, another Rubicon volunteer who was stationed in school.

“The volunteers have swept, sucked, moved supplies and helped to restore classrooms and installations so that the Hunt school can quickly resume its main mission: to educate children.”

During natural disaster, it is not uncommon for schools to act as rescue stations, given their range of equipment such as cafeterias, gymnasiums and shower and changing rooms.

This was the case in 2017, when Hurricane Harvey torn the Caribbean and the American States of Texas and Louisiana, causing at least $ 90 billion in damage to goods and means of subsistence, and to kill dozens of people. The storm led to a land of 200 miles (322 km) of Houston in August 2017 and stalled for four days, down to 60 inches (152 cm) of rain on certain parts of the metropolitan region. Houston schools later moved their missions, acting as shelters for displaced students and their families

Other schools in Austin, Dallas and El Paso quickly followed suit, offering a paradise for those who are faced with a long -term trip. The date of the term for students returning to schools in these areas even had to be postponed until September 5.

The Hunt school was not alone during this disaster in its mission to transform its space into a flourishing volunteer center. Ingram Tom Moore secondary school, which serves older children from 9th to 12th year in Ingram, Texas, also acted in the same way. In the days following the floods, the school has become a hub, when anyone distributing supplies to the affected people would collect their goods.

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our community and Blessed to operate in this respect,” wrote a school representative in an article on Facebook. “Ingram ISD continues to keep our community and everyone affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”

However, the greatest task for Hunt School and others across Texas was not the exhausting volunteer work itself, or even the work of restoring these institutions in places of education. An important obstacle to which educators are now confronted across the country is how to deal with the children of their schools who have known this tragedy. How to sail in loss and sorrow with such a young age group.

“One of the biggest challenges will be to balance the need to continue to develop our academically while meeting their social and emotional needs,” said Nichols, director.

“Together, we will make sure that our students and their families have the support, resources and care they need – at school and at home – to feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Our approach will be rooted in compassion, understanding and flexibility, knowing that healing is just as important as the academic growth of this season. ”

According to CNN, among the 135 victims of the floods were two of the youngest students in Hunt. Nearby, Kerrville, a teacher and coach, as well as his whole family, were also killed.

In other areas, young people ‘death tolls were higher. Camp Mystic, the girls’ summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe river in Texas, confirmed that 27 children and advisers died in the floods.

Another volunteer at the Hunt School, Jennifer Nieder, said that what she would say to children starting the school year is that “you have an incredible community and that we have had the chance to get to and spend time with you”.

Asked about the challenges they might face after losing their loved ones, Nieder said: “It’s ok not to be ok.” She added: “Talk to your friends. Talk to your parents. Talk to your teachers.”