Staff and students of Valley’s hardest hit school adapting after move from Houston Middle to Houston High

HOUSTON — In the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake at 8:29 a.m. Nov. 30, Houston Middle School’s staff and students have been displaced by the damage to the building. The transition from two schools into one is going well, as they have received a warm welcome and Houston High has now, at least for the foreseeable future, become Houston Jr/Sr High.

“We’re sticking together. In my mind the kids see that and they feel that,” said Houston Middle School Principal Ben Howard.

Howard has taken over as the principal of Houston Jr/Sr High, as Houston High Principal Bill Johnson will be retiring at the end of the year. Howard said that they are awaiting phase two of a transition. This week, HMS students at HHS took field trips to the Valley Cinema and Extreme Fun Center to prevent overcrowding in HHS. HHS is designed to fit only 550 students, but now houses more than 700. Discussions began after the quake of where the HMS students would go, and some thought they may be bussed to other schools. Howard said he is proud that both schools can stay at home in Houston.

“We’ve been invited into their home. For me, that’s the biggest piece,” Howard said. “We are using every space.”

Phase two will see 11 portable classrooms brought to HHS over winter break, which will mostly be used for sixth and seventh grade classes. Howard wants to keep a separate area of the school for eighth grade students, but some have already begun taking classes at the high school. Prior to Nov. 30, high achieving HMS students would walk the parking lot to take classes at HHS. Howard said that the portables will take Houston Jr/Sr through the end of the year, but it’s still to be determined how the school will look going forward. In the weeks following the quake, thousands of aftershocks have rumbled through the Valley. A pair of counselors from FEMA and two counselors who had been at Houston prior to the quake are available all day every day, according to Howard. Though the school was shaken and may cost more than $30 million to repair or demolish, Howard said that morale is up and the kids are doing okay.

“The kids are glad to be back in school and they feel safe,” Howard said.

Immediately after the shaking stopped, Howard knew that the HMS building was unsafe.

“As the first one was over, we knew we got hit pretty hard. The assistant principal and I and our safety resource officer ran down the hallways that were dark with no power. We went running down the halls knocking on doors telling everybody to evacuate that building,” Howard said.

In the weeks following Nov. 30, Howard said that the community has responded to needs at Houston, donating coats and time at the movies and fun center. The Menard Sports Center will house the students that don’t fit next week. Following the quake, no new material has been introduced that students will be tested on. Howard said that teachers are being supportive, and those students who needed time to make up work are receiving help.

Through all the stories of heroism on Nov. 30, some from HMS are the most harrowing. Howard recalls a student who had a scooter to roll around on due to a broken leg that was on the second floor when the quake hit. A teacher put the student on their back and carried them to safety.

“It really was a team effort. As soon as we made decision to evacuate everybody did exactly what they were supposed to do,” Howard said.

Howard lauded the quick thinking of the students as much as the teachers. Out of 19,000 students in Mat-Su Borough School District schools at 8:29 on Nov. 30, zero reported major injuries. None of the 2,000 teachers were injured either.

“The teachers tell me all these stories about kids helping kids during that,” Howard said. “The kids are the real heroes. They really took care of each other.”