Students return to new school after fire damages old school in Springfield, Delco.

SPRINGFIELD, Pa. (WPVI) -- The first day of school is always special but perhaps even more for some students.

Their school burned down over the summer and they were able to regroup and come here to Cardinal O'Hara

With the clip of a ribbon, the new school year officially began at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield. It's not a new school, but new circumstances for students here.

Eighth-grader Hannah Walkowiak said, "It's cool to be an eighth grader in high school."

A fast-moving fire this summer tore through Our Lady of Angels Regional Catholic School in Morton, and the elementary students had no place to go.

So this year they set up at Cardinal O'Hara. O'Hara students moved upstairs so the younger students could have their own space.

"We have the whole first floor to our self. It's like having a whole school inside of a school," said Hannah.

Eighth-grader Rylie Pellegrino said, "I think they've done a really good job. They're trying to make it like OLA the best they can."

The fire was electrical, it began in the ceiling and spread, devastating for the building and the generations of students who have passed through.

Over the past seven weeks, Our lady of Angels has been moving furniture and trying to transform the high school space into warmer classrooms for younger children.

Principal of Our Lady of Angels Susan Lowe said, "We really have been asking parents to be the model. How you present it is how they're going to accept it. And that's how our faculty has been, very positive and excited about the experience, making the best of a very bad situation."

The Cardinal O'Hara community is celebrating 55 years as an Archdiocesan High School, are happy hosts.

Dylan Rooney, a senior at Cardinal O'Hara said, "It's a big year because we're joining up with OLA, which is really awesome. We could reach out to them and give them a hand when they needed it."

Cardinal O'Hara principal Eileen Vice said, "Terrible situation but quick fix and really it's bringing a lot of joy in our building and we really feel blessed to have them and I know they feel the same."

Right now the hope is that Our Lady of Angels will be back on their campus next fall but planning is still in the works in Springfield.

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