“It is like a second start of the school year,” said Giovanni Colavecchi, the principal of the high school, during a press conference on Thursday.
This return to normalcy for 1,500 students in Nantes comes after a massive recovery effort coordinated by school staff and regional authorities following a fire that partially destroyed the facility on October 1.
The campus will officially reopen its doors to students and nearly 100 teachers on Monday. While the physical return marks a significant milestone, the building remains a site of ongoing transition. The school has been split into two distinct zones: one dedicated to education and the other reserved for long-term construction work that is expected to continue for several months.
The blaze left visible scars across the institution. The main entrance hall was gutted, and the flames extended to the cafeteria, seven classrooms, and the boarding school’s roof, which left the dormitories unusable.
André Martin, vice-president of the Pays de la Loire region responsible for high schools, acknowledged the transformation of the site. “It will not be exactly the same establishment as before, but everything has been done to welcome the students back,” Martin said.
The operational logistics for the reopening are complex. On Thursday, heavy machinery was still active on-site, removing charred structural elements to facilitate safety diagnostics and the replacement of damaged sections. To maintain food services, the school will rely on a temporary marquee installed under the covered courtyard, where delivered meals will be served to the student body.
The financial commitment to this partial restoration is substantial. The Pays de la Loire region has already allocated 850,000 euros for immediate repairs, with the total cost of the project estimated to reach at least four million euros. Despite the progress, full integration remains elusive for some; 200 students in preparatory classes will continue their studies at external locations, and 165 boarders are currently distributed across other high schools in the area.
“The extra costs related to travel and meals will be fully covered,” Martin assured, addressing concerns regarding the displacement of the student population.
The fire occurred during a wave of student protests and school blockades that swept through the region in early October. The legal fallout has been swift: two 16-year-old students from the school were placed under formal investigation in early November for their alleged roles in starting the blaze. Reflecting on the incident, Colavecchi expressed both professional resolve and personal disappointment regarding the origins of the destruction.
“It breaks my heart to know that students attacked their own high school,” Colavecchi said.
As the school prepares for the arrival of students on Monday, the focus shifts from emergency management to the long-term process of restoring the campus infrastructure. The reliance on temporary facilities and off-site learning for specific groups highlights the lasting impact of the incident on the daily lives of the academic community.
The region has not yet provided a definitive date for the completion of the second phase of renovations, noting only that the work will continue for several months. For now, the administration’s priority remains the resumption of the academic calendar under these modified conditions.
