CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Elementary students walked the halls of the newly rebuilt Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 School for the first time since 2022.
Hurricane Ian brought 140 mph winds and nearly two feet of rain, rendering the school that had served students for over 20 years useless. For nearly four years, 725 students and staff attended classes in temporary portable classrooms built in 30 days off Cape Technical College, dealing with small spaces, power issues and cafeteria shuffles.
Despite the challenging conditions, the school increased academic achievement by a full letter grade during their time in the portables.
“I have learned that our school isn’t and won’t ever be defined by the walls,” said Dr. Jason Kurtz, principal. “Our school is not made of brick and steel. It’s not made of glass and concrete. Our school is the people of our Cafferata family.”
In 2025, the school earned a Capturing Kids Hearts National Rising Star School Award for positive school culture and building strong relationships.
The new building was delivered on time and under budget through a public-private partnership.
“These students and staff had every reason to simply ride it out. Instead, something else happened,” said Samuel Fisher, district board member and Cape Coral resident. “They not only endured but they thrived.”
Teachers have started to fill their classrooms in the newly renovated Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 School. While they’re excited to welcome students back, they’ll never forget the last four years.
“When I first saw the damage, I just knew that we were not going to have the school anymore, and so that was, you know, very overwhelming,” said Jennifer Medero, a literacy coach at the school.
Medero has been a literacy coach at Hector A. Cafferata Jr. School since 2005. She was there for the school’s original opening and when it was damaged during Hurricane Ian.
“We wanted to continue to make sure that school was a priority, that the kids felt safe, and we just wanted to make it fun for them as much as we could,” Medero said.
Principal Dr. Jason Kurtz made sure the teachers were recognized. The entire staff was recognized for their hard work, making sure students were greeted by a smiling face every day.
“You are the heart of Hector A. Cafferata Jr. Student School, and today certainly would not be possible without you,” Kurtz said.
READ MORE: Hector A. Cafferata Jr. School rebuilds after Hurricane Ian in Cape Coral
The ribbon cutting for the brand new school centered around resiliency, sacrifice and honor. Traits that the school’s namesake, a Korean War veteran, is known for.
Hector A. Cafferata Jr. was a Medal of Honor recipient. During a 10-day battle at the Chosin Reservoir in November 1950, he defended a critical gap in American lines under freezing conditions, fighting barefoot in ankle-deep snow with temperatures of negative 50 degrees with wind chill.
“His mission, along with 220 Marines and Company F, was holding a three-mile mountain pass called Fox Hill, which was viable for 11,000 trapped Marines and soldiers to break free from the enemy,” said Jessica Cafferata, Hector A. Cafferata Jr.’s granddaughter.
His Medal of Honor, which was displayed at the original school, was the first item recovered during a special retrieval mission after Hurricane Ian. It now has a new home inside the rebuilt school where students can see it every day.
“Your family’s legacy will forever be entwined with our school’s future,” Kurtz told members of the Cafferata family who attended the ribbon cutting.
Jessica Cafferata, granddaughter of Hector A. Cafferata Jr., presented challenge coins to the school.
“There is a powerful resonance between Grandpa’s grit and your own enduring strength,” she said. “In both my grandfather’s resilience and in yours, we see that human resolve conquers.”
Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 School will welcome students and their families for the first time Wednesday night for open house.