Pocono News Section

JFK Elementary Back After Explosion

JFK Elementary Back After Explosion - Monday, August 31, 2009 at 5:40PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Monday, Aug 31, 2009 @ 05:40pm EST
EXETER, LUZERNE COUNTY- The first day of classes erased a late summer full of worries at John F. Kennedy Elementary in Exeter.

An explosion damaged 60 homes, businesses and the school. That was almost a month ago. It put the start of school in jeopardy. But Monday erased the uncertainty. Kindergarten teacher Jeanne Sviatko said, "Your concern is are you going to start on time but I had great faith."

Sviatko knew the school year was in jeopardy August 1st. David Lamoreaux's house next door exploded damaging nearly every room in the school.

The cafeteria’s ceiling tiles were knocked down and windows were blown out. On Monday, everything is repaired, putting teachers like Christa Coolbaugh at ease. “Knowing that we can come back to our own school and that we're all, everybody is okay. The community has rallied around us and we're having relief," said Coolbaugh.

While classes are running smoothly inside JFK Elementary the Luzerne County District Attorney says there's a very active investigation into what caused the explosion. Lamoreaux was taken to the hospital with severe injuries after the explosion. No arrests have been made.

The school district worked every day to get JFK ready. Sviatko watched closely. "As things progressed daily and you knew that it was going to work and we would be here, I was very happy," said Sviatko.

Crews are busy knocking down what's left of the explosion next door. Homeowners in that Exeter neighborhood have applied for state help to rebuild.

The explosion was so forceful it knocked many homes off their foundation.