Governor Kim Reynolds visited Rock Valley today (Thursday) to celebrate with officials there the readiness of the schools after devastating June floods destroyed nearly everything in both the community schools and the Rock Valley Christian School. $7.2 million out of $10 million allocated for disaster recovery in the state has been designated, and the governor says Rock Valley will use $3.2 million of that to build 84 new housing units, with another allocation coming out soon.
Speaking in front of a new classroom building built and brought in for temporary education, Reynolds spoke of the devastation that greeted her on her first visit to the community after the flood.
Rock Valley Community School Superintendent Matt Van Voorst described what he felt
Van Voorst says that lonely feeling didn’t last long as volunteers started arriving. He says there were over 700 volunteers helping clean the school out, in addition to contractors doing the same, and volunteers continue showing up to his day. He has a new appreciation for what community means.
He became emotional describing how everything has come together to be where they are now.
Rock Valley Christian School Principal Marcus De Jager echoes the sense of community.
De Jager says Rock Valley Christian is ready with finishing touches in the kitchen being made now and buses literally on their way from different states. He says everyone is ready.
Rock Valley Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo says it’s been 68 days since the flood. He expressed his gratitude to the Governor and her staff, the emergency personnel that worked tirelessly during the disaster, and the sheer number of volunteers that showed up.
He says he received a text early on in the recovery from the governor telling him to never give up. He says the community hasn’t and won’t, and is confident the community will heal.
Governor Reynolds hugged the mayor after his remarks, and with thunder in the background decided to move things along.
Tours of the new classrooms were held after the event, those classrooms will be repurposed into a daycare for Rock Valley, once the school recovery is complete. Classes in Rock Valley begin September 5.
