MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The words “Back-to-School” have a special meaning to the students and staff at Brindlee Mountain Primary School this year.

After an EF2 tornado devastated the school in 2020, the students spent the next three years attending primary school at the nearby high school.

This past week, the new Brindlee Mountain Primary School saw its first official “First Day,” and the road to get there was a long one.

“It took a lot of hard work,” said principal Nick Bolding. “The biggest thing for this whole community was churches. You would not believe the amount of churches that came out to help do whatever with supplies with food or hey let’s just feed everybody one day and that was kind the glue that helped everyone together.”

Principal Bolding also recalled that many parents accompanied their kids inside on that first day of school, but he thinks a lot of them wanted to see the new building and get a feel for where their kids will be learning. And some of Bolding’s staff actually were able to salvage some items from the tornado wreckage and have a special place to show them off.

“We have a teacher, over her door she has a shadow box over her door, and it’s all stuff that she saved from her classroom,” said Bolding.

Principal Bunding also says he wants to continue the leadership at the school that previous Principal Terry Allen had.