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Hidden Valley students, Sparrow Club and community partners praised after Fort Benoit flood response
Summary
Board meeting featured a student group highlight for the Sparrow Club at Hidden Valley High School and recognition of local firefighters and restoration crews for rapid response after a March flood at Fort Benoit Elementary.
The Three Rivers School District board meeting included a student spotlight and community recognition tied to a March flood at Fort Benoit Elementary and to ongoing student-led service at Hidden Valley High School.
Principal Jessica Falkenhagen described arriving at Fort Benoit on a Sunday to find parts of the school "knee deep" in water, with classrooms reduced to exposed concrete and some areas containing so-called "level 3" or "black water" that required sanitation. She and superintendent Jessica Durant lauded the response from first responders, district maintenance and contractors: "What they did saved us from having even more damage," Falkenhagen said as she called members of the local fire crews to stand at the front of the meeting for recognition.
Nut graf: Board members and staff used the meeting to recognize rapid emergency response that enabled students to return quickly, and to highlight the Sparrow Club, a student-run volunteer group at Hidden Valley that provides direct community support and paid community-service opportunities for students.
The Sparrow Club's advisor, Dennis De Casas, told the board the club has provided thousands of volunteer hours and a local system that helps students earn community-service wages. He said Hidden Valley students amassed more than 1,200 volunteer hours last year and described the club's origin story and impact on individual students. Student leaders spoke at the meeting: Sparrow Club president Peyton Fonts described the group as "the most fulfilling" activity she's participated in and said the club helps students give back and stay connected to the community.
The board gave a round of applause to the local firefighters and to restoration contractor BELFOR, which staff said arrived quickly and helped make classrooms safe. Superintendent Durant emphasized the district's priority of getting students back to school, saying school staff and community partners "pitched in" so students could return despite temporary crowding and double-up classroom assignments.
Ending: The board recognized community responders and student volunteers and will continue updates on repair progress and school restorations as contractors and insurers complete remediation and scope work.
