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School Storm Shelter Debate in Oklahoma

MOORE, Okla. — In the aftermath of a devastating EF-5 twister that killed seven children at a Moore, Okla. elementary school, schools in the nation’s “tornado alley” are looking to establish safer facilities with required storm shelters or safe rooms.

Two Moore schools, Briarwood Elementary School and Plaza Towers Elementary School, were demolished by the tornado. And though the city is no stranger to devastating natural disasters, local and state officials are questioning why the schools were without safe rooms or facilities dedicated to withstanding severe weather.

According to Albert Ashwood, Oklahoma’s director of emergency management, only 100 of the state’s 1,752 public schools have storm shelters.

“Most of these projects have been anywhere between $600,000 to $1 million and have usually all been applied to brand new construction of new schools,” Ashwood said.

The destruction has incited much discussion on safe rooms and potential for legislation to mandate that every school be equipped with facilities to withstand a storm such as the one that killed 24 people and injured hundreds on May 20.

Unlike Alabama, which requires all new schools to be built with safe rooms, the state of Oklahoma currently does not require storm shelters in schools. However, Representative Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, is requesting that state legislators draft a bill that would permit a $500 million bond in order to construct storm shelters throughout Oklahoma. Approximately $400 million would be allocated to public schools while the remaining $100 million would fund storm shelters in group homes.

“We live in Tornado Alley and this will happen again,” Dorman said in a statement. “We need to provide some funding to help build storm shelters, especially in schools. I would hope the idea has bipartisan appeal.”

Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis is proposing a city ordinance that would require all new homes to be constructed with a storm shelter. However, the mayor vocalized the need for community healing before introducing such legislation.

"Clearly a disaster like this brings the topic of safe rooms to the forefront. However, at this time we need to focus on the needs of our community,” he said in a statement. “In the future, I know safe rooms, as well as other issues, will be discussed. As always, the goal of ordinances and policies is to make our community a safe and healthy place to live, work, learn and play."

Demolition of the remnants of Plaza Towers began May 30.

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Oklahoma School Approves Bid for Athletic Facility

PUTNAM, Okla. — In a special meeting, the Putnam City School Board approved the low bid of almost $2.9 million from Silvercliffe Construction for construction of an athletic facility at Putnam City West High School.

The new facility will house a multi-sport practice room, a weight room and a locker room for female athletes.

Also planned is the remodeling of an existing building at the north end of the school’s football field to provide new varsity and junior varsity football locker rooms, a meeting room, an equipment room, a laundry room, coaches’ offices and a football planning room.

The remodeled facility is expected to be ready for use by late summer or early fall. The new building is expected to be complete in the fall.

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Oklahoma Schools Ready Safety Projects

ENID, Okla. — Construction will begin this summer on a student drop-off and loading zone at Longfellow Middle School, officials announced. A blinking stop light at Randolph and 10th and a mid-block crossing in front of the school will also be installed.

The project is being funded by a $200,000 grant from the 2009-2010 Safe Routes to School Program awarded to middle schools to teach students safer ways for getting to and from school every day.

The city of Enid also committed $28,000 and engineering services to the project. The Enid Police Department and Enid schools are planning to promote awareness about walking and bicycling safety using these renovations.  Another construction project in the city, on the sidewalk from Cleveland to Oakwood at Waller Middle School, will also begin in 2011. That project was funded by a 2008 grant from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The improvement projects are a result of the 2010 bond issue.
Safe Routes to School is a network of more than 500 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools and professionals that promote pedestrian travel and safety, reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality and neighborhood safety.

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