Decision hasn't been made on completing school year

District officials work on logistics, weigh fate of Columbine building

By Jason Gewirtz
Camera Staff Writer

LITTLETON — School officials aren't sure where Columbine High School students will finish their school year, but many students are hoping to return to classes sooner rather than later.

And many said Thursday that they don't want the student body to attend school at different locations for the rest of the term, especially after an event that has brought students of all types together.

"If they do split us up, we won't go, because we need to be together," said Josh Nielsen, 17, a Columbine junior. "If they split us up, it's just going to be like we're in different groups again."

Jefferson County School District officials had expected to make an announcement Thursday about the rest of the school year, but the logistics of relocating nearly 2,000 students and faculty have proven too difficult to accomplish in two days, they said.

"We know we have a responsibility to return our students to school with the staff," said Superintendent Jane Hammond. "The logistics of finding all the locations and transportation needed is taking more time."

Those most impacted by Tuesday's tragedy at Columbine have offered varying opinions about what to do about the remainder of the term — just 17 days remain — as well as the future of the school building itself. After the shooting, some had suggested that the school would need to be torn down for some students to feel comfortable returning.

But a more realistic option, Hammond said, will be to find a temporary location for students to finish the school year, then reopen Columbine for the academic year starting in the fall.

Hammond said the district is looking at more than two locations for temporary relocation and may consider placing Columbine students in a neighboring high school, such as Chatfield, for part of the school day. She said the district hopes to have a location picked by early next week.

And, she added, graduation for seniors will take place as planned at Fiddler's Green on May 22.

Many students who attended a community service at a local church or who came to the various makeshift memorials springing up in nearby Clement Park on Thursday said they want to return to school.

"I know, me personally, I'm going to go back to the school, just to see what happened," said Eric Sundee, a Columbine freshman. "I need to see the holes to believe it really happened."

But not everyone was ready to return. Jessica Cave, 16, a sophomore, survived Tuesday's shooting by hiding in a storage room with 20 other people.

"I am never going back there," she said.

Kit Harmon, Cave's mother, said she won't push her daughter into returning if she doesn't want to go. "I'll put her in a different school if that's what needs to happen," the mother said.

Hammond said the majority of students the district has spoken to have expressed a desire to return, but officials understand that everyone will deal with the tragedy in a different way.

"I'm sure the feelings of not wanting to go back are very real," Hammond said. "But I heard many students and parents who want to be back in their school. So I imagine there is a wide variety of feelings."

At a community gathering at a local church Thursday morning, Mary Sautter, the mother of a Columbine sophomore, said the students will need to return.

"I don't think you'll find many students who don't want to go back," Sautter said. Her daughter, Chandra, who was in the school cafeteria at the time of the attack, said her first choice would be to continue with her classes.

"We can't let this destroy our school," Chandra said. "I would go back to that school. That's where my memories are."

Camera Staff Writer Matt Sebastian contributed to this report.