KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Demolition of part of the North Central High School campus has started after a tornado ripped through the school last month.
Bleachers damaged by the storm's impact are being torn down in preparation for the upcoming senior graduation ceremony.
School leaders hope to host the ceremony at the stadium in an effort to maintain a sense of normalcy now that students have had to move to a temporary campus.
According to the district's Chief Operating Officer Billy Smith, the stadium is "phase one" of their recovery plans for the campus. Phase two will focus on the less damaged parts of the school, like the gym and auditorium, and try to bring those back to working order.
The fate of the more damaged classroom portions of the campus remain uncertain as teams continue to survey the damage and remove any salvageable items.
In an earlier interview with News 19, Superintendent Shane Robins said about 25 percent of the campus is salvageable.
"You know, our adjusters will look at it and see what the expense is to renovate and repair or actually rebuild, but most times, if it’s more than 50 percent of what a new structure would be, then they will tear it down and start from scratch." Robins said.
He added that people and organizations in the community have been more than giving and the generosity has been greatly appreciated.
They are now reviewing the supply list of needed items to see if more donations will be necessary and thank the community for their contributions.