Thousands of students in Butte County are out of the classroom after the Camp Fire

CHICO, Calif. - Many schools in Butte County were damaged or destroyed in the Camp Fire

A meeting in Chico brought together representatives from the California Department of Education, the State Superintendent’s Office, Butte County Office of Education and the Office of Emergency Services gathered at Pleasant Valley High School to come up with a plan on how students and staff will move forward.

This is the first of many meetings to talk about how to bring education back to the students of Butte County.

Where students will go, if scholarships can be given to them, if and when schools will be rebuilt are just some of the many topics to be discussed.

There are a lot of unknowns. Thousands of students in Butte County are out of the classroom after the Camp Fire. Getting them back in is the top priority according to Tom Torlaksen, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Torlaksen also said he is hoping to get funding for counseling for the students.

Butte County sheriff Kory Honea spoke to the crowded theater. He said he’s always been connected to the schools in this county and wants staff to know they’re not in this alone.

“It’s important for all for these folks to know how much we appreciate what they’re doing. We’ve got a long road ahead of us they’re going to be on the fron lines of helping the kids deal with the trauma, just wanted to say thanks,” said Honea.

Butte County has 14 school districts and charter schools. The Butte County Office of Education said on their website all schools in the county will be closed until at least Nov. 23.