LOUISA COUNTY, Va. — Around 4,000 Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) members were still without power a week after a winter storm hit Virginia, but Louisa County Public Schools (LCPS) said they will be returning to the classroom on Tuesday.
Superintendent Doug Straley said the vast majority of LCPS families have had their electricity restored, but there are still between three to eight faculty members at each school without power.
Straley added there are a few more who are still in the dark at Jouett Elementary School, as that area was hit the hardest by last week’s winter storm.
"I've driven every road in this county over the past week," Straley explained. "And I believe we're down to all but two of our roads that we're not able to travel on with buses, that we have students that live on."
Straley said the district will work to pick up those students at a meeting point or in another vehicle that can make it down the road.
“I've heard several of our families who do not have power who have said to me, we want our kids back in school, go ahead, you know, we want to be back there," he noted. "It's a place where they can be warm. It's a place that they can get some routine back, some normalcy back."
LCPS said students and teachers who can not make it to school Tuesday because of the power outages will not be penalized.
"Certainly, if they do not have power, and they're not able to come to school, we will absolutely be working with them every step of the way to make sure they get everything they need and that they're caught up as soon as they get their power back," said Straley.
Louisa County Middle School served as a warming center for those without power for several days since the winter storm first hit last Monday, but that shelter has been moved to the metal gym right behind the middle school.
Straley added there were no families inside the warming center Sunday night.
