WYNNE, Ark. — It's almost been a year since an EF3 tornado tore through Central Arkansas and forever changed the lives of thousands of people.
While a lot of the damage happened right here in Central Arkansas, it's a day the people of Wynne will never forget as well.
On Monday, students, staff, and the community gathered to look back on a year marked by loss.
"Our staff has been resilient, our kids have been resilient, and this community has been absolutely amazing. I couldn't imagine being in another community and going through this," said Superintendent, Dr.Kenneth Moore.
The last year has been a tough one for students at Wynne High School, but the sweet sounds of construction and the support of a community have been the driving force behind Dr. Moore's plan for recovery.
"Best case scenario, we could possibly start turning dirt over there in June. Worst case, it could be mid to late September. Then after that, it's a 24-month project. We are, realistically, we're probably looking at January of 2027 to be able to transition our high school kids over," he described.
Dr. Moore explained how while most of the debris is cleared, and things have started to move forward there is still some underground damage that needs to be fixed.
"They're rerouting sewage, which is about it. Half a million dollars worth of damage that we didn't know existed. Then logistically when you move this many kids, you really don't know what you don't know. So we're just kind of learning as we go," Dr. Moore added.
For Michelle Mercado, a Junior at Wynne High School, seeing a new school be built is a dream she can't wait to become a reality. However, for right now she has been getting used to Wynne's new routine.
"No one thought that we'd be here less than a year after the tornado. We're settled in, and we go into class normally. [We] arrive normally and leave normally, go through like our sports seasons normally," Mercado described.
Losing your home and school to a tornado is not part of your typical teenage life but Michelle explained how it's what made her the person she is today.
"I would just tell myself a year from the tornado, that everything will be fine, everything will turn out perfect," Mercado said.
Superintendent Moore said they plan to keep their temporary campus and eventually work on owning it while they focus on rebuilding the school.