Cape Coral School Completes Hurricane Recovery

FOR WGCU NEWS. I'M JAN JOO PARK. >> AND AS NEW SCHOOLS, POP-UP, OTHER MORE MATURE SCHOOLS ARE DEBUTING NEW, MAKE OVERS LIKE HECTOR A CAFFERATA JUNIOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CAPE CORAL 4 YEARS AGO. HURRICANE IAN HEAVILY DAMAGED THAT SCHOOL THIS WEEK. STUDENTS RETURN TO A NEW EXPANDED INSTITUTION THAT NOW SERVES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THE 8TH GRADE WGCUS DATA HARPSTER HAS MORE. >> THE NEW 225,000 SQUARE FOOT CAMPUS WAS ABUZZ AS ABOUT 900 STUDENTS FILTERED IN AND HUMID TUESDAY MORNING. PARENTS OF THE LITTLEST STUDENTS HELD THEIR HANDS AND WALK THEM INTO A GATHERING AREA. WELL, OTHERS TRAPPED KIDS OFF IN A CARPOOL LINE HELP FROM THEIR CARS BY A FEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, PRINCIPAL JASON KURTZ HAD HIGH FIVES FOR EVERYONE AT THE FRONT DOOR. TODAY IS AMAZING. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BACK. >> I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR SOME LAUGHTER AND SOME GOING AND SEE THE SMILES OF ALL OUR SINS AS THEY GET TO SEE THOSE BRAND NEW CAMPUS. >> ESE RESORTS TEACHER TARA BEVEL ART HAD BEEN ANTICIPATING THIS DAY ALL SUMMER. SHE SAID I AM READY TO GO. WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO WELCOME OUR STUDENTS BACK. WE HAD ABOUT 800 KIDS COME FOR OPEN HOUSE AND EVERYBODY SO EXCITED. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. IT'S GREAT. OUR STUDENTS ARE READY. WE'RE READY AND WE CAN'T MAKE IT THE BEST YEAR EVER. >> STUDENTS STOOD WITH BACKPACKS AT THE READY AS THE MARINER HIGH SCHOOL DRUMLINE FILED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND INTO THE COURTYARD, FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN BUILDINGS. THE DRUM BEATS. WE'RE STANDING BY WERE MEMBERS OF THE ISLAND COAST HIGH SCHOOL J R O T C STUDENTS WAITED AT THE COURTYARD ENTRANCE LOOKING LIKE TINY RACERS AT THE START OF A 10 K AS CHAIR OTC CADETS REALLY RAISE THE FLAGS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE BELL RANG SIGNALING THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SCHOOL YEAR. PARENTS, FRANK AND CANADA BORUC WERE USHERING KINDERGARTNER NATE TO HIS CLASSROOM. THEY WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE BUILDING AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE MORNING. SO GOOD. >> AGAIN, IT'S A NICE COOL. VERY SO. THE CLASSROOMS OR JUST DECIDE TO GET HIM IN THERE. I CARE. I DO. I LIKE HOW THE PICKUP LINE ISRAELI LINE. THAT'S AWESOME. I LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE IN MAKING IT TO WHERE YOU YOU DON'T GET OUT OF YOUR CORE. I'LL MAKE IT FASTER. MORE SUFFICIENT BUILT AT A COST OF ABOUT 125 MILLION DOLLARS. SCHOOL HONORS MARINE HECTOR A CAFFERATA JUNIOR, A MEDAL OF HONOR AND PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT. >> WHO WAS A HERO AND THE KOREAN WAR GROUND WAS BROKEN IN MAY 2025. FOR THE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS BUILT FROM HURRICANE IAN RECOVERY FUNDS AND FINANCIAL OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 4 NEWS. THIS IS