ONSLOW COUNTY, N.C. -- The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mark Johnson, came from Raleigh to look at the worst storm-ravaged school district in the state Monday.

• He greeted teachers, staff, parents and children at Dixon Elementary in Holly Ridge and dropped off supplies and letters of support sent from other children in California schools.
• Onslow schools finally opened to all of their 26,000 students after being closed for nearly two months.
• Onslow County Schools are the biggest recipients of the money, getting $14.5 million from the rainy day fund.

He greeted the teachers, staff, parents and children at Dixon Elementary in Holly Ridge and dropped off supplies and letters of support sent from other children in California schools.

Onslow schools finally opened to all of their 26,000 students after being closed for nearly two months. The children missed 38 calendar days.

Johnson said there is still a lot of work to be done, but says he has had bipartisan support in Raleigh for the damaged school districts.

“We are working with the insurance providers to make sure those claims are paid, then we will be working with the federal government to make sure we get federal disaster relief. We know there will be gaps in insurance and our disaster relief. I really have to give a lot of credit to this general assembly for saving that rainy day fund. They have already started sending that out to the affected counties. Already we have $60 million that has been sent out to the affected districts,” said Johnson.

Onslow County Schools are the biggest recipients of the money, getting $14.5 million from the fund, but they need $125 million to get back to normal. Johnson says help from Department of Public Instruction insurance is on it’s way.

“We have a small but mighty staff at the Department of Public Instruction that were really assessing the damage as quickly as possible. And those checks are already coming. I know at least $7 million in insurance has already come to Onslow on top of what has come from the rainy day fund. Obviously, these things we are looking at ways to improve,” said Johnson.