BURNSVILLE, N.C. — School buildings in the mountains weren’t spared from the impacts of Helene. One elementary school in Yancey County had to close permanently.
“A little creek that's, you know, barely a trickle on a good day was the full raging river down the road,” Alexandra Karlos said.
The beloved Micaville Elementary School has been a staple in the Yancey County community since 1936. While the landmark stone building is still standing, it wasn’t fit for students after Helene.
“Water came rushing in from multiple sides and filled up the school,” Karlos said. “Going in now, after the fact, the blackboard is all warped, and the carpets are destroyed, and tiles are destroyed. It just wasn't really salvageable.”
Karlos started as a third grade teacher at Micaville at the beginning of the school year in 2024. She said it was devastating to have to leave so soon.
“That was a stab to the heart,” Karlos said. “Even though I had only been working there for two months, they had brought me in as a part of this family.”
But she said the hardest part was worrying about her students after the storm.
“There were staff members that were driving out and walking to cross over bridges that had been destroyed, and wading through water, and trying to dig through rubble to be able to help salvage any part of these families’ homes and livelihoods in every way that we could,” Karlos said.
Related: 'One day at a time': Western N.C. counselors manage students' mental health post-Helene
Burnsville Elementary School took in most of the students and teachers, and South Toe Elementary School took in the rest.
“I think it's a hard transition for sure,” Karlos said. “But they're flexible, and they're resilient. And, you know, knowing that there's a lot of people in their corner and support system to help them.”
Burnsville Elementary School Principal Brent Laws said there was a lot of planning that went into this transition to make it as smooth as possible.
“We were fortunate,” Laws said. “While we had 15 families lose property, lose their homes, we didn't lose a single student to the storm. It's phenomenal.”
Almost 150 students transferred from Micaville to Burnsville, meaning there are now more than 500 students sharing space at the school.
“If you look throughout the hallway, you will see adults and children teaching and learning in work rooms, closets,” Laws said. “We've made use of every square inch of our building.”
Some classes had to be combined, and Karlos was transferred to a fifth grade classroom. But she said she’s happy to still have a job. After being out of school for almost two months, there’s a lot of catching up to do.
“I think that a lot more people are more energized knowing that we've been out for so long, and we've got to get some stuff done,” Karlos said.
But even more important than meeting academic standards is caring for the mental health of her students.
“You can't focus on doing math and science if you're not OK,” Karlos said. “So I think that that's one thing that I've made clear to my kids. If you need to go talk to somebody, then you are free to go, and we can make that time, and I will get you caught up.”
Burnsville Elementary was in the process of expanding before Helene hit. Laws said they are hoping construction is complete before the beginning of the next school year. The plan is to keep the students and teachers they acquired from Micaville next year as well.
