PARMA, Ohio — It’s a celebration in Parma to welcome students back in the classroom last Thursday morning at St. Anthony of Padua.
One by one, families like Ramon Claudio and his son filed inside the building for their first day back to school in nearly 18 months.
The school even had special guests from the Parma Police and Fire departments to greet them.
“It’s refreshing. He was super heartbroken, and it sucked, it sucked. I mean, it was the start, and it sucked for the families and everybody,” said Ramon Claudio, a parent at St. Anthony of Padua.
But Claudio told News 5 his son Ramon is happy to be back at school.
“I have a cousin here, and he’s a little bit nervous, so I’m going to help him out,” said Ramon Claudio Jr., a student at St. Anthony of Padua.
St. Anthony of Padua had to close its doors after someone broke into the school and set a fire in the basement, causing more than $1 million in damage.
Patrick Klimkewicz says crews have been making repairs and upgrades for over a year and a half.
Those improvements include a new roof, cafeteria and kitchen, new security cameras, fire and alarm systems and a new computer lab.
“It just feels great. I mean, it’s been 18 months since we had the opportunity for our students and staff to enter back into this building, so yeah, it feels great,” said St. Anthony of Padua Principal Patrick Klimkewicz.
The principal told News 5 that 80 to 85% is complete, so more work still needs to be done.
But all in all – he says he’s happy to be back.
Parma Police told News 5 that no arrests have been made for the school fire, and there is a $12,500 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
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