(GREENSBURG, Kan.) — Whether they came by bike or bus, as students stepped onto campus, excitement superceded first day nerves at the Kiowa County School.
"I didn't have to wake them up, they were awake before I was," says Heather Powell.
On Thursday, the gleam from the new school shines nearly as bright as the morning sun.
"First day of school, first day in the new building," says principal Staci Derstein.
"Just awe, everyone is in awe. People say they haven't seen college campuses this nice," says Powell.
"Just waiting, its been three years, its exciting, we're excited. I wasn't going to do this today," says Derstein. "Reflective this morning, three years ago we opened at the other facility, how happy I was we were back together."
Together, after an EF-5 tornado ripped apart the town of Greensburg in May of 2007. The storm leveled the grade school and high school.
"Going in freshman year not knowing the drill, nobody really knowing the drill and just seeing each other's faces was good and now seeing new faces from other towns, its really great," says Lindy McKinney.
The new school holds Pre-K through high school students from Haviland, Mullinville and Greensburg. The project cost $52 million with insurance covering part of the cost. The school sits on the south end of Greensburg's Main Street.
