‘Going to be stronger’: Sulphur school district assessing return after tornado damage
SULPHUR, Okla. (KFOR) – The Sulphur Public School district is eyeing a return to classes next week following Saturday’s EF3 tornado.
Superintendent Matt Holder toured News 4 employees around the district’s damaged bus barn and fleet of buses Thursday.
“Our fleet is pretty much gone,” said Holder “We experienced a lot of severe damage to it.”
Holder said he believes some of the vehicles will be salvageable, but that help from the Oklahoma City metro has been a big help for the district’s immediate transportation needs.
“I would like to say a special thank you to Oklahoma City Public Schools,” said Holder. “They brought down buses today for us.”
Holder said OKCPS provided six buses, a special needs bus and a mini-bus.
“It means a lot,” said Holder. “We’re all Oklahomans and we all care about each other.”
In addition to transportation, Holder said the district is working through additional challenges like water damage to the high school and other district buildings.
“It seems like every day there’s a new curveball that gets thrown at us,” said Holder.
Holder said while the challenges have been stressful the district has also tried to do its best when it comes to making sure students and staff impacted by the Sulphur tornado are supported.
“[We] touch base with them and see what they really need,” said Holder. “Not just send them to move to somewhere and not know really what is needed and what we can do for them as a school district.”
Holder said a tentative plan is in place to return to school early next week, but it’s too soon to say for sure what day that will be. He said staff will be out testing bus routes Friday and that an update should be coming to the district over the weekend in terms of the next steps.
News 4 said the State of Oklahoma has also been generous in asking what resources it can offer to alleviate any potential challenges.
“Our fifth through eighth grade still have state testing going on and so they’re working with us on what that might look like as well,” said Holder.
Holder said what’s kept him and staff strong throughout the last several stressful days is thinking about how resilient this has made the district and community.
“I truly believe we’re going to be stronger over this,” said Holder. “Sometimes hard things make you better.”
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