HAZARD, Ky. (LEX 18) — More than two years after devastating floodwaters tore through Robinson Elementary in Perry County - consuming the entire building - the school is now celebrating a major milestone.
The new state report card for schools shows the middle school is a top 10 middle school in the state, and Robinson is also the number one school in the district.
"We had a lot of obstacles in our way to prevent that from happening, but the staff really came together, the community really came together," said principal Jamie Fugate.
This year feels worlds away from the historic floodwaters of summer 2022, but that experience is never far from the minds of teachers and students who lived through deadly flooding.
"Oh gosh," said Pam Jones McCoy. "That was a nightmare."
Jones McCoy and Kayla Combs, along with Robin Combs, are middle school teachers at Robinson.
They told LEX 18, in the aftermath of the disaster they banded together to make sure their students could stay together in a stable environment. Since they couldn't return to their building, Robinson ended up moving into the once-abandoned A B Combs building, sharing the space temporarily with Buckhorn School.
Teachers say they found old classroom supplies and furniture, doing the work themselves to get the new building ready.
"The roof caved in on my classroom so we weren't able to retrieve anything," said Jones McCoy.
"I lost all of it," said Combs. "Couldn't save anything. We tried, the only thing we got out was a basketball cart, and that didn't mean anything."
Principal Fugate was dealing with his own devastation at home, after his family had to be rescued from rising floodwaters. As he was figuring out to rebuild their house, he was also concerned about his school.
"I was really worried at the time," he said. "You know, are we going to keep all our kids? After the first day of school, when I seen how many kids came back, I thought, we can do it."
The majority of original Robinson students kept attending class at their new school building. Two years later, Fugate says they've not only adjusted but overcome every obstacle. He credits teachers' grit and students' strength.
8th grader Gabe Griffie is one of those students. He said he's proud of his classmates, some of whom lost everything, and the staff at school, too.
"We have the best teachers," he said.
Now, the school is looking forward to a new building that will eventually be built along Highway 80. Teachers say their kids deserve it.
"They know they're loved here," said 4th grade teacher Courtney Hunt. "They work hard, they put in effort, they come to school to learn, they're great kids."
"If you didn't see the devastation, and you weren't working and going to school in this environment, I don't think you appreciate how much those kids have gone through, and how much they've beaten the odds," said Combs.
