RICHMOND, Va. -- Cardinal Elementary School reopened to students on Tuesday for the first time since a lightning strike damaged the South Richmond school.
Richmond Police said emergency crews were called to the 1700 block of Catalina Drive at about 6:54 p.m. on Monday, August 26 for a two-alarm fire at Cardinal Elementary School.
At school drop-off, both parents and students shared mixed reactions when asked if they are eager to return to the classroom.
"It’s good they were able to fix the school back up and get the kids back in," said Alexis Kearney, parent to 5th grader Tru'.
Tru's response: "Not really."
Kearney said RPS administrators did a good job keeping parents updated on how long the clean-up would take.
"It’s good they were able to get everything handled and get the kids back in so they can start school," she stated.
Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said Richmond Fire confirmed a lightning strike was responsible for starting the fire.
A behind-the-scenes look at the damage last week showed inside the classroom, plastic covering desks and supplies, dozens of fans blowing throughout the hallways as crews replaced many of the ceiling tiles damaged by the water.
The damage impacted 16 total classrooms that serve mostly 2nd and 3rd graders.
Those teachers will hold classes in the gym and multipurpose room for no more than two weeks as their rooms are prepared for the students' return.
Kamras said it was unclear how much the clean-up would cost at the three-year-old Cardinal Elementary.
“That’s why we have insurance just like your house. We make sure all of our facilities are insured for acts of God and things of this nature. That’s why we pay our premiums and make sure we are covered so it’s not coming out of the taxpayer's pocket and not coming out of the facilities budget that we need for all of our schools,” he said.
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PHOTOS: Behind the scenes look at Cardinal Elementary damage
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