Despite much of the Village of Lytton still being evacuated, the majority of school-aged students are back in class today.

Wildfire burned down most of the village on June 30, the last day of the previous school year, but the Kumsheen School located just south of the town core was not damaged by fire.

Gold Trail School District Supt. Teresa Downs said more than half of the school’s students would be in class today, which serves students from kindergarten to grade 12.

“The families of 70 students confirmed that they will be returning to the school right away to start school year. When the school year ended, there were about 120 students at the school. So we are pleased with those numbers, and anticipate they will increase over the year, as families are able to become settled and back into their community.”

Downs said other students have temporarily enrolled elsewhere or are learning remotely. She told NL News on Friday that others who are staying further away may be able to be bussed to other schools in the district as well.

While the school building remains intact, Downs also said utilities for the school have been impacted.

“Students and staff will be provided with drinking water, they cannot drink water out of the tap at this time. Telus infrastructure to the school, just like to the community, has been significantly impacted. And so the landline has had to be transitioned to a cell phone, and the internet is significantly limited from past years. And so internet access is at the office only.”

Kumsheen School serves not only Lytton but also the Lytton First Nation and the Siska, Skuppah, Kanaka Bar and Boothroyd Indian bands.

A $5-million-dollar renovation had just been finished at Kumsheen School at the end of the 2020 to expand it, which enabled that school and Lytton Elementary to amalgamate in January.

The former Lytton Elementary was levelled by the wildfire.

“And especially heartbreaking for the community is it was being leased by the Nzen’man’ Child and Family, which offer amazing services to families and young children,” Downs said.

The school district expects enrolment to rise at the school as the year goes on, as arrangements change for more families who remain displaced by the fire.

“Lytton is a beautiful community of beautiful people. It is heartbreaking to consider what each of them are going through at this time. And so our focus as we start the school year really is on the staff who have endured more than I can understand this summer, and the students and their families,” Downs said.

“We have a number of great people seeking to support them to have a positive year, focused on their health and well being.”