Moore Schools Announce Enrollment Plans For Students Displaced By Tornado

Officials with Moore Public Schools announced special enrollment plans on Monday for students who were displaced by the May 20 tornado.

Many Moore Public School students lost their homes, and two schools were destroyed after a massive tornado swept across the Moore area on May 20. That's why school administrators say they have made special enrollment and attendance arrangements for the coming school year, for those students affected by the disaster.

Complete Coverage: May 2013 Tornado Outbreak

School administrators say the most notable change for the 2013-2014 school year is a temporary transfer policy that will allow students who are currently living outside of the district to attend their home school. This applies only to those students whose families were displaced by the tornado, and who intend to move back into their Moore homes.

"Our primary goal is to minimize disruption to the students' education," says MPS Superintendent Dr. Robert Romines. "These students have been through enough and we want their school to be a place of comfort and consistency."

For the families displaced by the disaster, officials say students may continue to attend the same school they attended during the 2012-13 school year. Parents must provide transportation for students living outside of their home school attendance area. These families must also complete a new enrollment form at summer enrollment. This will allow MPS to collect new contact information for students and to confirm who will be returning.

Families currently living within Moore Public Schools boundaries, but planning to attend a different MPS school in the 2013-14 school year due to the tornado, must complete a new enrollment form no later than July 19. This must include new proof of residence, according to officials.

Families who do not plan to return to Moore Public Schools in the fall are asked to call summer enrollment to notify MPS that students will not be returning.

Summer enrollment is located at Kelley Elementary, 1900 N. Janeway in Moore, Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday, 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. For summer enrollment information, call (405)-735-4281.

For families whose homes were not damaged or destroyed and who completed 2013-2014 pre-enrollment in the spring, enrollment is complete. Nothing further needs to be done.

HIGHLAND EAST JUNIOR HIGH

Highland East Junior High currently under repair and is scheduled to start August 16, 2013. Kathy Knowles will be the principal.

BRIARWOOD ELEMENTARY

Briarwood Elementary will be housed at Emmaus Baptist Church, 16001 S Western Ave, Oklahoma City, for the 2013-2014 school year, while the school is being rebuilt.

"Emmaus has graciously offered their facility to our school district and directly to the children, teachers, and families of Briarwood," said Romines. "This allows us to keep the Briarwood school family together and close to their home school location."

Briarwood will continue to offer the before/after care program at Emmaus. Dr. Shelley Jaques-McMillin will be the principal.

PLAZA TOWERS ELEMENTARY

Plaza Towers Elementary will be housed in the 800 building of Central Junior High located at 400 North Broadway in Moore. The elementary school classes will be separate from the junior high setting. Central Elementary School is adjacent to the junior high property and Plaza Towers will share the grade school's playground, gym, and media center along with four of their classrooms. Amy Simpson will be the principal.

BUS TRANSPORTATION

Bus transportation will be provided from the Briarwood and Plaza Towers attendance areas to the temporary school sites. Bus route information is currently being developed and will be available at each school's open house on August 14, 4-6pm. In addition, the open houses will give families an opportunity to visit their temporary school site and greet their teacher for the upcoming school year.

BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL CARE

Many of the schools in the MPS district offer before/after care programs. Families with questions regarding this program are asked to contact their home school principal after August 1, 2013.

For additional information parents are encouraged to call the school directly, or call the Elementary Office at (405) 735-4277 or the Secondary (junior high and high school) Office at (405) 735-4283. Contact information for each MPS school can be found at mooreschools.com. Up-to-date district information is also available at facebook.com/MoorePublicSchools.