By Leslie N. Dees
August 08, 2007 01:12 am
—
Dr. William G. Suratt, administrator of Old Dominion Christian School, said the school has received overwhelming support from the area with volunteers and donated supplies.
The school recently purchased the old East Holmes Academy facilities in West and have been renovating the vandalized structures.
“God is taking care of it (the school’s needs) day after day,” Suratt said.
Office desks, student desks, chalkboard, vinyl stack chairs and much more have been donated to the school.
“Honestly, things that have been given to us would be worth $20,000 if we were paying for them,” Suratt said.
A church north of Longview, Texas, is donating a 65-passenger bus to the school.
The people from the West area are volunteering to help, Suratt said.
“It seems like there is an excitement in the area because we are putting it back together,” he said.
“The support we are getting from other institutions . . . we didn’t expect to have,” Suratt said.
Holmes Community College and another institution have donated supplies.
Suratt said a volunteer is coming to mow the severely overgrown athletic fields and bale the freshly cut grass.
“We gave him the grass and he is giving us the free labor,” he said. “It’s just a trade off there. There is really not enough there for the average man to come and do it. But, he said for the school he would do it anyway. That’s just been the attitude.”
The school’s electrical system is still being worked on. Suratt said they have been able to purchase wiring at wholesale cost.
“Someone came in with bolt cutters and cut a lot of electrical wires,” Suratt said at an open house last month.
The athletic fields are still in need of some electrical work too.
“It’s going to take someone with a big bucket truck to … tie them all together,” he said.
Suratt said the first priority was to get the electrical problems resolved in the school facilities.
Fresh coats of paint have been applied in the building, even different colors of an oil-based paint has been applied to the floors.
“It’s what’s best for the students,” Suratt said. “It’s not what’s best for the staff. It’s what’s best for the students and the students like a variety of colors.”
The first week of school will be half-day sessions for the students to adjust and to help teachers fine-tune everything to the smallest detail.
Suratt said the school is still in need of kitchen appliances and furniture for the pre-school.
The staff of Old Dominion started on Aug. 6 with students starting on Aug. 13.
For more information on Old Dominion or to donate time or supplies, call 289-5703.
Copyright © 1999-2010 cnhi, inc.