Ringgold High School Principal Sharon Vaughn unpacks donated books for the school Thursday in the newly refurbished school library.HOW TO HELPBook list available online at ringgoldreads.comSend the book to:Mark PierceRHS English Department head29 Tiger TrailRinggold, GA 30736
Thursday morning, Mark Pierce sorted through brand-new copies of “To Kill a Mockingbird” stacked in one of the boxes scattered across his classroom.
Nearly four months ago, Pierce’s English classroom at Ringgold High School had water pouring down from the roof, and his neighboring teacher’s classroom had shards of glass on the floor.
A tornado savaged the school late on April 27, but teachers weren’t allowed to salvage their entire classrooms until months later. Many feared they had lost everything.
“We saw so much damage from the entrance of the building,” said Pierce, who heads the English department. “We didn’t know what would be lost because of mildew, mold and rotting.”