Two Moore Schools in Shambles

With a grade school in shambles, a high school heavily damaged and a technology center "flattened," Moore schools Superintendent Wayland Bonds wondered late Monday how the 1998-99 school year could be finished.

Tornado damage to schools in the Cleveland County system could affect more than 2,400 students.

The 500-student Kelly Elementary School, 1900 N Janeway, was "75 percent gone," Bonds said.

Westmoore High School, 12635 S Western, sustained severe structural damage and lost its roof. Windows campuswide were blown out, he said.

More than 200 vehicles in the Westmoore parking lot also were destroyed.

Kelly and Westmoore, with its 1,900 students, probably will be closed for the remainder of the academic year, which ends May 20.

Kelly students could be relocated to other elementary schools in Moore, "but if we can't use Westmoore, we've got a major problem," the superintendent said. "There isn't room at Moore High School for the Westmoore students.

"We'll assess the situation in the morning, and we'll talk with officials of the state Department of Education to see what options we have," Bonds said.

Tuesday night, hundreds of people were at Westmoore for a West Junior High School awards ceremony and a Westmoore drama class rehearsal. Two injuries were reported at Westmoore.

The area around Westmoore "looked like a bulldozer went through and just turned everything over," Moore teacher Kyle Dahlem said.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next