RIVERDALE
September2023 | Vol. 49, Issue 1
An Orange County Public Schools Employee Publication
STAFF AND STUDENTS GET A “ROYAL” WELCOME HOME
Andy Orrell
By
September 2022 was a trying time in Florida’s history. Hurricane Ian had cut through Central Florida, its powerful squalls and flooding waters destroying thousands of homes and causing about 150 deaths in the state. By the time the winds died down, storm damage had cost Florida more than $100 billion, ranking the hurricane as one of the costliest in our country’s history. Orange County Public Schools was not immune to the heart-wrenching loss caused by the storm. In the days prior to the hurricane making its way through the Orlando area, students and faculty left Riverdale Elementary, the home of the Royals, to shelter away from the storm. When district officials were able to access the school after the storm had passed, they found it had been flooded under four feet of water.
See the Riverdale staff get the first look at their school after 10 months of repairs at Welcome Home Riverdale Elementary - YouTube