DOVER, De. - Just one year ago, tropical storm Isaias wreaked havoc in Dover. The William Henry Middle School was ripped to pieces by a tornado, forcing the building to be condemned.
"The storm was horrific. When we came out to see the damage, I didn't think we would have a building at all to come back to honestly. I figured they would have to redo the entire thing, not just sections. But it's amazing to be back," said Kimberly Clendaniel, a 26 year veteran of the district. Clendaniel say that her classroom was one of the rooms that fell victim to the tornado, and credited the school community for making it through such a difficult year to come out on the other side stronger. "At William Henry, we have a saying 'one team, one family.' We're home. We stuck together through all of this with each other. And it's great to be back in the building with our family." While the school has sentimental meaning for the community, it's also a historical landmark. William Henry, now a middle school, used to be a high school. The third black high school in Delaware, in fact. The school has an alumni association that was on hand for today's re-dedication, and President Beverly Minus Wyatt says the group was devastated to see the damage last year. "We started praying, really. Because it's like William Henry is our heart, our foundation, that we learned a lot of things from the teachers that walked through the halls so we felt kind of hurt," said Minus Wyatt. Also present at the ribbon cutting today: Dr. Vilicia Cade, the new superintendent of the Capital School District. While Cade came on mid-project, she says she is proud to see the building returned to it's former glory. "The fact that we have restored the historical context and the facilities back to a standard in which we can occupy the building, it's incredible. Because if you saw the damage before the renovations, you would say this is an inhabitable building that could not be restored, so we're very happy that was able to come to fruition," admits Cade. Cade spoke at length about what went into the project to get the work completed and the building reopened in just a little over a year. She gave a lot of credit to her predecessor, Dr. Sylvia Henderson, who was interim superintendent last year. Cade says there is a moment of pride in taking part of the ribbon cutting today.
"You know this is a historical day and it's very special to me that this is a historical site, which was the third African-American high school in the state of Delaware," explained Dr. Cade. "As the first African-American female superintendent of this district, it is a great opportunity for me to stand on the shoulders of the alumni that have fought so hard to ensure that this historical landmark remains in tact. So it's a wonderful celebration for all in the Capital School District."
The first day of school at William Henry Middle School is Tuesday, September 7. Dr. Cade said around 1,000 5th and 6th graders will walk through the front doors to start the year.