Work is continuing as the York County School Division recovers from a fire at the Grafton School Complex.

The fire was reported about 3:45 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3. Students had been dismissed for the day, and remaining occupants evacuated safely. The main electrical distribution panel was the root of the fire.

Grafton students were out of school for a week, and when they returned, it wasn’t to their own school buildings.

Grafton High School students are going to school at York High School on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while York students attend on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A similar schedule will take place with Grafton Middle School and Tabb Middle School, with Grafton attending on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and Tabb attending Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The plan lasts through May 22 and includes 10 Saturdays for Grafton students. The plan protects spring break as well as the weekends surrounding it, as well as Memorial Day weekend.

“While we recognize that this plan may not be ideal for all families, this option best aligns with the division’s criteria for meeting the needs of all students with the resources available,” Superintendent Dr. Victor Shandor stated in a letter posted on the school division’s website.

In a Feb. 14 update, the school division thanked families for being flexible.

“The York County School Division would like to thank our students, staff, and administrators, as well as our parents and community, for working with the division through the changed schedules this week,” the update stated.

Activity buses were set to resume the week of Feb. 17.

Grafton phones have been re-routed, so Grafton parents should call their school’s main number to reach staff rather than the host school’s office number.

Insurance companies are completing the inspection of the electrical room as part of the ongoing restoration, the updated states. Crews are set to begin removing the electrical distribution panel destroyed in the fire. This will allow contractors to begin preparing the space and evaluating other electrical components while the new panel is under construction.

BELFOR Property Restoration Company has begun prioritizing items for retrieval from the complex, beginning with items required to maintain school operations at their new sites, the update states. Personal possessions that do not require extensive cleaning protocols are being cataloged pending return to individuals.