Jose Moreno, a student at Memorial Ninth Grade Campus, said he loves his school and he’s happy to start back Jan. 12.

“I just finished my projects to get my grades up, and I’m glad to be back to school. I want to be something when I grow up,” he said. “I’m happy nothing bad happened to the school (on the ninth grade side of the building). We have good teachers and I treat them and everyone with respect.”

Moreno, along with some of his fellow classmates, parents, faculty and staff attended a meeting Thursday morning in the auditorium at the ninth grade campus for an update of the school affected by a fire that damaged a portion of the Booker T. Washington Elementary side Jan. 4. The Washington session of the meeting began at 8 a.m. and the ninth grade session at 10 a.m.

At an emergency meeting Jan. 6, the Port Arthur Independent School District board of trustees approved keeping ninth graders at their present school and relocate Washington Elementary students to other elementary schools in the district.

Principals of each of the elementary schools introduced themselves at Thursday’s meeting and told the Washington students they were welcomed to their schools.

“We’re ready for them with open arms and we welcome the students and parents and we’re ready to assist them,” April Jones, principal of DeQueen Elementary said. “We have an exemplary administration team and staff and we’re very confident Booker T. Washington students will have smooth transition.”

The TAAS test is in March and Jones said DeQueen has an after school program and morning tutorials to help students lacking skills. She added the students needed to be assessed first to see exactly where they were academically and where they need to be.

Mark Porterie, assistant superintendent, said the transpiration department will place aides on buses the first week back to school to assist Washington students during the transition.

“We’ll try to get Washington aides on the buses so the transition will go as smoothly as possible. We’ll be with them every step of the way,” Porterie said.

Transportation director Ezell Brown said the bus routes have been created and the district will assist parents getting their children on and off the buses. Some parents may have students in multiple grade levels and parents may fill out a form to keep students together.

Parent Hazel Manaway said her questions were answered to her satisfaction and she was looking forward to a smooth transition. Her daughter, Teairra Rogers, will go to Tyrrell Elementary, and her son, Steven Manaway, will attend Woodrow Wilson Elementary.

“I’m confident PAISD will do a good job educating both my children,” she said.

Porterie told attendees at the ninth grade meeting some thought the building was completely destroyed when it was actually contained to the west side.

“The ninth grade students will be safe when they return. The west side of the campus is the new side of the school with its own breaker box that’s completely separated from Washington Elementary. The ninth grade is totally on its own,” Porterie said. “Action Restoration has been treating the textbooks and air testing so the area will be conducive for learning by students. Ducts and air handlers will be cleaned all day long. The building will be cleaner than when the students left for the holidays.”

He explained the district thought about placing students in the former Park Place Medical Center building until Action Restoration assured them they could repair the ninth grade campus.