PERRY, Iowa — Tuesday evening was the first time Perry High School students stepped foot into the school since the deadly school shooting nearly a month ago.
Students went to the high school open house ahead of the return to classes on Wednesday morning with heightened emotions.
"Knowing that what happened, happened there, it's just never going to be the same," said Derek Vetter, a student at Perry High School.
Students said when they first walked in, it was emotional and scary to face the place where the shooting happened.
"I know these first days I'm going to feel like, really anxious, really scared to like, go back, but I'm hoping all of that can just heal with time," said Valeria Medina, another high school student.
The open house was a chance for students to meet with teachers and friends ahead of the first day back.
There were treats, comfort dogs and counseling services available.
"[The open house was] nerve wracking definitely," said students Taylor Marler and Lydia Hochstetler. "We both grabbed our hands and just walked in at the same time. We were scared. It's good to be with people that you love and that you trust."
The students say the inside of the building looks completely different, adding that there is new carpet and parts of the cafeteria blocked off.
Students told Local 5 that the feeling inside will never be the same.
"Different than you know, what is was before. [It's] just going to be something to get used to, knowing that you know I'm back where it all happened," Vetter said.
While students feared to return to school, the community support around them has helped put them more at ease.
"We've seen everyone's support, me, my classmates, we've talked about it, we shared it, we feel really thankful and grateful and noticed by those," Medina said.
While students attended the open house to go back to school, one student told Local 5 they were there to clean out their locker, because they planned to finish the rest of the semester online.