Grace Christian Academy may need full rebuild after Sinlaku devastated campus

Widespread destruction from Super Typhoon Sinlaku has left Grace Christian Academy heavily damaged, with school officials warning that large portions of the campus may not be recoverable.

Principal Geraldine Rodgers said the impact was “so pervasive” that the school is still trying to determine what can be salvaged.

“Our chapel windows were blown in and so the chapel was pretty much destroyed,” Rodgers said. “We know that the bus shelter is completely destroyed and then the classrooms that are above it are destroyed.”

She added that while some office spaces, including the business administration office, appear intact, other key facilities such as the library sustained damage. Fallen trees are also blocking access points to the campus.

“There’s shards of glass everywhere and we just don’t know how much of the campus is recoverable at this time,” she said.

Rodgers said upper elementary classrooms suffered severe damage, with roofs “totally demolished,” while some lower-grade classrooms appear to have survived.

“I want to say yes,” she said when asked if about 80% of classrooms were destroyed. “We haven’t assessed building B.”

With classes suspended, Rodgers said the school will coordinate with accrediting bodies on how to proceed.

“We’ve got to acknowledge our [Western Association of Schools and Colleges] accreditors and [Association of Christian Schools International] accreditors, so I’ll be in touch with them to see how we can move forward and what kind of schedule we can [set] to provide some educational stability, especially for our seniors,” she said. “But the campus itself, I don’t know how much we can piece back together. It’ll probably have to be totally restored.”

No damage estimate is available yet.

Rodgers urged patience from families as recovery begins.

“Parents and students, our GCA family, we love you guys. We’re praying for you,” she said. “We will soon be in touch to let you know of what are the next steps going forward.”

She also called for volunteers to assist in cleanup efforts starting 7am this morning, April 20.