VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Three Virginia Beach schools that were closed Monday due to the impact of tornado damage in the area reopened for class on Tuesday.
The impacted schools were Cox High School, Great Neck Middle School, and John B. Dey Elementary School. Virginia Beach City Public Schools said students who cannot make it to class safely will be given excused absences.
Students living in Great Neck had a busy morning back to school as school buses maneuvered around cars and tree removal equipment Tuesday morning. They’re ready to get back to normalcy after the storm.
“My kids were pretty freaked out,” said Melissa Thompson, who waited at the bus stop with her children.
John B. Dey student Sean Scheller said he won't forget the moment an EF-3 tornado touched down in the Great Neck section of Virginia Beach.
“It was kind of scary,” he said. “There were like trees falling and stuff.”
Thompson said she and her family had dinner in North End when the twister swept through.
“When we finally were able to get back to this area, we couldn’t even get home,” she said. “We had to park all the way down Great Neck Road and we have two small kids. We had to walk back in the rain.”
Luckily, her home missed the storm’s path but it didn’t stop her from discussing the events with her children on their day off from school.
“I never thought I’d have to talk to my kids about a tornado in Virginia Beach,” Thompson said. “Never thought that was going to happen. But now I will take those alerts seriously and I think they will also.”
Students waited early for the school bus to pick them up. Scheller said he’s excited to go back to school but he is concerned about his transition back to class following the storm.
“It’s just kind of hard getting used to it,” he said. “Like when you’re off and then you have to go back.”
Thompson said she’s happy her children are back too and she already has an idea of what’s on the lesson plan.
“They’ll be talking a lot about tornadoes today that is for sure,” Thompson said. “So, it’s good to get back to routine.”
How will buses operate during the tornado recovery?
The following message was sent to students and their families on Monday:
Good afternoon, VBCPS families,
We continue to partner with the City to assess the damage and road accessibility issues related to last night’s tornado impacting the Great Neck community. Dr. Spence has been out touring the area and our hearts go out to all the families who have been impacted by this catastrophic storm. At this time, we have decided to reopen Cox High School, Great Neck Middle School, and John B. Dey Elementary on Tuesday, May 2 for all students and staff who are safely able to report. Buses will run their usual routes with the exceptions of the alternate bus stops for Old Donation School students and for the neighborhoods listed below until further notice. All students in academies and special programs who need transportation are asked to report to their usual bus stops at the usual time. Students who are unable to report safely will have excused absences and can work with their teachers to make up work as they are able. Staff who are unable to report due to road conditions should contact their supervisors.
We ask for your patience as we expect traffic delays on Great Neck Road at both pick up and drop off times.
For students residing in*:
Broad Bay Estates— A bus stop will be located at the cross section of Falcon Crescent and Rally Drive at 9:25 a.m. for Great Neck Middle on Bus # 320 and at 7:40 a.m. on Bus # 325 for John B. Dey Elementary.
Broad Bay Point Greens—A bus stop will be located at the cross section of Tether Keep and Dey Cove at 9:25 a.m. for Great Neck Middle on Bus # 330 and at 7:40 a.m. on Bus # 69 for John B. Dey Elementary.
Chelsea Neighborhood—We ask that students in the Chelsea neighborhood walk or ride to school if they are able to safely, as streets are currently impassable and buses won’t be available.
For Old Donation School students— Students residing in Broad Bay Point Greens & Chelsea Neighborhood, a bus stop will be located at Great Neck Middle School on Bus # 125 at 7:55 a.m. For students residing in Broad Bay Estates, a bus stop will be located at Cox High School on Shorehaven Dr. on Bus # 103 at 7:55 a.m. All other students may utilize their normal bus stop.
All buses will return students to the same location as listed above after regular dismissal.
*We strongly encourage parents to escort their children to and from the bus stops and/or school, given the new stops and the potential for safety concerns in the area.
We recognize that some families may still be without power or internet access. If you need a hotspot, VBCPS Department of Technology has them available for your use. Please call 757-263-1111 for assistance. Additionally, we will have counselors available for students and staff, as we know a natural disaster of this magnitude is understandably upsetting. We will also have school supplies available for any students who need them.
As always, we will continue to provide updates as any decisions are made or new information is available. Thank you for your continued support of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.