Storm-Damaged Elementary Looking Where to House It's 500 Students

By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An elementary school damaged in Thursday's storms has James L Dennis Elementary school officials scrambling to figure out what to do with over 500 of their students.

The strong winds peeled away part of the roof at the elementary, leaving the school with nearly three inches of standing water.

Not even eight hours after the storm hit, crews were already working to repair the building. However, despite their best efforts school officials said chances are the school won't be useable for at least the next month.

"There's a lot of water everywhere. Students work is on the ground, peeled off the walls," said Ashley Hoggatt, James L. Dennis Elementary School Principal.

Hoggatt was in the building along with a group of cub scouts when the storm hit.

"When we were seeking shelter, we heard running water coming into the building over the academic halls," Hoggatt said.

But Hoggatt said it wasn't until she began walking the halls that she was fully able to understand the amount of damage done to the school.

"Everything is under water, so we anticipate, well I can't even begin to put a number to it," Hoggatt said.

Putnan City School District Communications Director Steve Lindley along with other school officials have had the difficult task of assessing the damage.

"Normally when you walk into an elementary school it's bright, it's cheery, clean, but last night it was none of those things," Lindley said. "We don't have a final estimate right now, but it appears just damage to the physical structure itself, the ceiling tiles, the floors, the roof, the machinery is at least $1.5 million."

However, Lindley said the school is already seeing progress.

"It is looking a lot better. There is an army of people here doing work. You can hear some of it right now, so those are all positive things," Lindley said.

Currently school officials are going over plans on where to house the 500 students for the next month. In the meantime they aren't sure when they'll be able to get the students back into the classroom.

School officials are crediting the Oklahoma City Fire Department for their quick thinking. They said during the storm, fire fighters were able to lay tarps down saving computers and books inside the school library.