Scott City prepares to break ground on safe room

It has been a few years in the making, but plans are underway to break ground for Scott City School District's new performing arts theater/Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room.

The groundbreaking will be at 10:30 a.m. June 16, with the time set for students in summer school to have a firsthand look.

The $2.1 million project is funded largely through a FEMA grant. The district provides a 25 percent match. The grant total is $1.5 million, according to superintendent Diann Ulmer, and the facility is to be 8,989 square feet. In addition to keeping students safe, it also can be used for the community should severe weather strike beyond school hours.

This safe room is the latest for the area. Chaffee voters passed a bond initiative, without a tax increase, in April for district renovations. The district plans to borrow $2.9 million for two storm safe classrooms at the elementary school, among other projects.

Jackson has begun work on a community center that also was partially funded by a FEMA grant. The center, though not exclusively a safe room, meets the emergency-shelter specifications.

Severe weather should be taken seriously. Providing emergency shelters in communities and school district is a thoughtful decision that can have lifesaving benefits. Likewise, it's critical for individuals to have an emergency plan should severe weather strike.