GULFPORT, Fla. — Parents at three Pinellas County schools that have yet to reopen after Hurricane Helene got the chance to ask questions about what's next for their students.

The district held family meetings Monday night, including at Boca Ciega High School. Karesha Nash and her son, Kai, were among the attendees.

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“When I saw this, I was like, ‘Oh, yes — it’s about to be bad,’ when stuff started floating,” said Nash, referring to a photo on her phone of household items bobbing in flood waters.

Nash said when the water continued rising in her home in St. Petersburg’s Twin Brooks neighborhood, she knew she and Kai, 7, had to go.

“He was scared, I was scared, but we were able to get out. When we did leave, though, the water was, like, at his chest,” Nash said.

Now, like so many families around Tampa Bay, Nash said she’s facing the hard part: repairing the damage Helene left behind.

“I’ve tried, like, several different companies to try to get somebody to come out to even do just a dry out, and I haven’t been able to get with anybody,” she said. “So, right now, we’re just trying to figure out what we’re going to do in the next week or so when the mold starts.”

It’s not just damage at home that’s disrupted their lives. Kai is in second grade at Gulf Beaches Elementary, which was badly damaged by storm surge.

“Every room in the facility, on campus had some level of water damage,” said Principal Bob Kalach. “With that saltwater intrusion and all of our electrical utilities underground, it’s going to take some time.”

Along with Gulf Beaches, Madeira Beach Fundamental K-8 remained closed Monday due to storm damage. Disston Academy wasn’t impacted by Helene but was also closed to ready the building for Gulf Beaches students. Beginning Wednesday, that’s where they’ll report for class. Disston students will share space at Lealman Innovation Academy. On Wednesday, elementary students at the Madeira Beach K-8 will attend class at Walsingham Elementary, and middle schoolers will report to Osceola Fundamental High School starting Thursday.

Pinellas County Schools didn’t allow Spectrum News inside the meeting at Boca Ciega High, saying it wasn’t open to the public. Before the meeting, Nash said she was in favor of the district’s plan. She said she liked that Disston can accommodate all Gulf Beaches students.

“He’s excited to get inside, to see everybody,” she said of Kai’s anticipation of just Monday’s meeting. “All he kept saying is, ‘I just want to see my friends. I just want to get back to regular, normal life.’”

After the meeting, parents Spectrum News spoke with also said they felt good about the plan. 

“All the classes stay the same, teachers are the same, so I have no worries or complaints,” said Jessica Maldonado, whose son is in first grade at Gulf Beaches. 

Maldonado also said a return to the school routine is important.

“Just getting them back to normalcy,” she said. “A hurricane with flooding is something that they probably — I mean, in my lifetime, I haven’t seen it. So, for these kids, I’m sure it’s, you know, pretty traumatic. Just getting them back in school — I know a whole new school is a big change, but I think they’ll do a great job making them feel comfortable.”

Jack Madley, whose son is in kindergarten at the school, said he appreciated that the district is communicating with parents and held the meeting to allow for any questions.

“I think it’s a very structured overview of what the plan is to get the school back up and running, to continue to teach the children, which I think is very good,” Madley said. “They’ve moved to an equal sized school. I think the plan has been well thought through.”

One question Nash said she had was how long students would be away from their normal building. A district spokesperson said the hope was that students would return before the end of the school year, but that remains uncertain. 

A final family meeting is scheduled for Tuesday for parents of middle schoolers at the Madeira Beach K-8.

It’s set for 6 p.m. at Osceola Fundamental High School. More information on how these changes will impact students and school schedules is available on the Pinellas County Schools website.