PIttsburg County school opens classroom, storm shelter

Adrian O'Hanlon III, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·2 min read
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Apr. 12—Tannehill Public Schools held a grand opening ceremony for its new classroom building that doubles as a community storm shelter.

Superintendent Ronald Martin said lived right down the road when he attended Tannehill for grade school. Now he's happy to see his hometown district open a new $1 million storm shelter.

"I walked to school every day here," Martin said. "It's been kind of nice."

Tannehill Public Schools officially opened its $1,050,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency-rated storm shelter on Friday that includes two classrooms. Voters approved the proposition in 2019 with 70 percent of the 74 total votes cast for "yes."

The measure increased taxes in the district by an average of 18%.

Tannehill's school board accepted and authorized the low bid of Bank NA of McAlester and Baker Grays of Oklahoma City at an interest rate of 2.352083 percent on the bonds dated June 1, 2019, according to tentative minutes of a special school board meeting.

Martin is in his first full year as superintendent after coming out of retirement to lead the kindergarten-eighth grade school in Pittsburg County.

He went to grade school at Tannehill and graduated from Indianola High School in 1981. Martin went on to become assistant superintendent at McAlester Public Schools then went to Beggs before returning to Tannehill as a part-time teacher then taking the superintendent position.

Martin said he was grateful to the community for approving the bond and thanked community member Oben Weeks for his support.

He said the shelter will bring safety for the community.

"For the kids and the parents, it gives them peace of mind when they send them to school, knowing that they'll be safe when a storm's coming," Martin said.

Martin said the building will be unlocked for the community to seek shelter during a tornado warning.

He said Pittsburg County Emergency Management will notify emergency officials when that occurs.

Martin said keys to unlock the building during a tornado warning will be given to the Tannehill Volunteer Fire Department chief and some staff members.

The building's capacity is 367 and provides two new classrooms for the district.

Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com