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Rolla schools report major damage to three buildings; district aims to reopen March 31
Summary
School officials reported substantial roof and interior damage at Mark Twain Elementary, Rolla Middle School and Wyman Elementary after the tornado; the district is relocating classrooms and coordinating volunteers and donations.
School district officials gave the council a damage and recovery update after an EF2 tornado struck the city.
A district official said, “Mark Twain's cafeteria roof is gone,” and staff have engaged structural engineers to assess the building. The district reported the main structural damage concentrated in the cafeteria area, and planned immediate demolition and reevaluation to make the building safe. Delivering meals to “approximately 300 and some kids” for the remainder of the year is a major operational challenge cited by the district.
At Rolla Middle School officials reported rooftop HVAC units were torn away; the district said roughly 17 rooftop units have been lost of the 83 on that building and that water damage has affected many classrooms. The middle school was without power at the time of the update; officials said they expect further damage to become visible as power is restored and that they were considering temporary relocations for about 15 classrooms.
Wyman Elementary suffered extensive roof damage, the district said, with a peeled-back roof deck and damage to structural decking; the superintendent said Wyman "will be closed for the remainder of the year." The district plans to relocate some students to a recently purchased Collegiate building, shift early-childhood classes as needed, and continue structural inspections at other buildings.
The district said it is assembling volunteer coordination resources and has posted a volunteer form on its website to centralize offers of help. The schools aim to reopen district buildings by March 31, a tentative goal they said they were “pushing for.”
Why it matters: the damage affects classroom space, food service and HVAC systems for thousands of students. The district is balancing structural safety, utility restoration and continuity of instruction as it finalizes relocation and cleanup plans.
Officials encouraged community volunteers and said the district will share lists of specific needs through the city's and district’s channels.
